The UN Security Council decided to put off by 24 hours a vote on a Qatari draft resolution that would condemn Israel's deadly attack in the Gaza Strip as well as Palestinian rocket firing into Israel, diplomats said. The decision was made during closed-consultations of the 15-member body after the Qatari draft was toned down to make it more palatable for Western members.
A Western diplomat said the council would meet at noon (1700 GMT) Saturday to vote on the text which is widely expected to face a veto from the United States, a staunch ally of Israel.
The amended draft no longer refers to Wednesday's Israeli shelling that killed 18 Palestinians, mostly women and children, in the Gaza town of Beit Hanoun as "a massacre" and no longer calls for the deployment of UN observers to supervise a mutual ceasefire.
Instead the new text would condemn Israel's military operations in Gaza, particularly the Beit Hanoun incident along with "the firing of rockets from Gaza into Israel".
It calls on Israel "to immediately cease its military operations that endangers the Palestinian civilian population in the Occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and to immediately withdraw its forces from within the Gaza Strip to positions prior to June 28 2006."
It also calls for an "immediate halt of all acts of violence and military activities" by Israelis and Palestinians.
It urges the international community, including the diplomatic Quartet -- -- the United States, Russia, the United Nations and the European Union -- "to stabilize the situation and restart the peace process, including through the possible establishment of an international mechanism for protection of the civilian populations."
It also directs the UN secretary general to set up a fact-finding mission on the Beit Hanoun attack within 30 days.
Wednesday's Israeli strike in Gaza was condemned worldwide and prompted moderate Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas to accuse Israel of sinking chances of peace and to declare a three-day mourning period in the Palestinian territories.
The world community called for an immediate halt by the Jewish state of its offensive in Gaza, which has left more than 300 Palestinians dead since late June when an Israeli soldier was seized by Palestinian militants.
