United Nations: Frustrated by their failure to get the Security Council condemn Israeli air strikes near Damascus in Syria, Arabs now want it to hold an open debate on and declare the security barrier being constructed by Tel Aviv "illegal".

Syria, the only Arab member of the 15-member Council, circulated a letter and draft resolution on October 9 on behalf of the 22-member Arab group, seeking condemnation of what they describe as "expansionist conquest wall" as it cuts though Palestinian areas at several points.

After Syrian UN Ambassador Fayssal Mekdad circulated the documents at the closed-door meeting of the Council, Council President Ambassador John Negroponte of the US said the members would hold consultations on the issue. But it had not yet set the date for an open debate.

The Arab draft declares the barrier being constructed by Israel, "the occupying power" as "illegal" under the international law and calls Tel Aviv to reverse it.

Israel has already built 160 km of the barrier, comprising walls, fences and trenches, and decided to build it around Jewish settlement on the West Bank. It says the barrier is necessary to deter Palestinian suicide attacks on its territory.

Palestinians, however, sharply criticized the barriers, saying Israel was trying to determine borders on its own, something that should be decided during the peace process.

The new Arab demand comes as Syria was unable to finalise a draft resolution condemning attacks on its territory that would be acceptable to major powers and a majority of members.

Israel had said it had hit the training camp of terrorist organization Islamic Jihad, but Syria contended that it had no training camps and the warplanes struck a civilian facility.

PTI