United Nations: The US has blocked an attempt in the powerful UN Security Council to express serious concern over the Israeli ground offensive in Gaza after eight days of air strikes and to call for an immediate ceasefire, asserting that it would "not be adhered to and have no underpinning for success."

Insisting that Tel Aviv s right to self defence is not negotiable, US Ambassador Alejandro D Wolff put the entire blame for the current crisis on Hamas, the Palestinian militant group which controls Gaza, saying Washington cannot equate the actions of Israel, a UN member, with those of a terror group.

"There is no equivalence there," he remarked after a three and a half hour emergency closed-door meeting of the 15-member Council late last night.

Wolff said Hamas is in violation of earlier agreements and there are no prospects of it abiding by the statement issued by the Council last Sunday calling for immediate truce.

"Any statement at this point of time would not be adhered to and would have no underpinning for success, would do no credit to the Council," he told reporters after the meeting.

As the diplomats came out of closed-door meeting held at the request of Libya to take stock of the ground invasion by Israel, Arabs expressed frustration that the Council could not agree even on a press statement, even though most members were agreeable on the elements.

Ambassador Jean-Maurice Ripert of France, which holds the rotating presidency of the Council, told reporters that they could not agree on any statement, though there were "strong convergences" on basic elements.
Source : PTI