Arabs Want U.N. Resolution

Arab nations called on the U.N. Security Council Wednesday to pass a resolution expressing grave concern over a deadly Israeli raid on Gaza City and demanding Israel's withdrawal from Palestinian towns.

A draft text circulated by Arab envoys would call for "the complete cessation of all acts of violence, including military actions, destruction and acts of terror" in the Middle East.

It would demand that Israel pull back its troops to the positions held prior to September 2000 -- before the start of a Palestinian uprising in which at least 1,467 Palestinians and 559 Israelis have since died.

The Security Council was due to begin a public debate on the Middle East crisis Wednesday evening at 7 p.m.. The session was requested by Arab nations after Monday's Israeli air raid on Gaza City that killed 15 Palestinians and wounded at least 145 more.

World reaction has been sharply critical of Israel's actions in getting to Hamas leader Salah Shehadeh, who was killed in the missile strike on his home early Tuesday.

Using harsh language, Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Tuesday that Israel had failed its "legal and moral responsibility to take all measures to avoid the innocent loss of life."

The loudest criticism came from the Arab world. "We call for severe punishment for these crimes committed against Palestinian people," Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said Tuesday.

Even the United States, Israel's closest ally, rejected Israeli claims that it did not know there were civilians in the three-story apartment building in a densely populated Gaza neighborhood. The United States has served as Israel's protector in the Security Council, often using its veto to prevent Mideast resolutions similar to the one introduced Wednesday.

Arab envoys, in a letter, asked the Security Council to adopt "the necessary immediate measures to ensure an end to the current tragic situation" in light of "the continued Israeli military aggression against the Palestinian people" and the "extremely grave and deteriorating (humanitarian) situation" in Palestinian areas. The document doesn't mention deadly attacks against Israelis.

Aaron Jacob, deputy Israeli ambassador, called the draft "one-sided."

"It ignores the Palestinian responsibility for the current situation and places all the responsibility on the Israeli side," he said.

Nine Palestinian children, including a 2-month-old baby, were killed in the air attack along with Salah Shehada, commander of the military wing of the Islamic group Hamas.

But council diplomats said resolutions would not be considered at Wednesday's meeting although Palestinian envoys were expected to use the session to push for one.

In Washington, officials said the United States would only participate reluctantly in the debate and would oppose action on a resolution, which it saw as a distraction from its agenda of reform for Palestinian institutions and a new security force, leading to reciprocal Israeli steps.

"The proposal is for a debate ... about the incident in Gaza. I'm sure we are prepared to address that but we also think everybody needs to keep in mind the broader goal of peace," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said.

The Arab draft resolution would state that the 15-nation council was "gravely concerned at the extra judiciary execution" in Gaza City and "alarmed at the reoccupation of Palestinian cities" by Israel's armed forces.

It would appeal to both Israelis and Palestinians to fully cooperate in efforts to end the violence and resume peace talks, and would reiterate the council's support for the efforts of the "Quartet" of Middle East negotiators -- the United States, European Union, Russia and the United Nations.

The Israeli air raid was carried out a day after Hamas' spiritual leader, wheelchair-bound Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, said the group would consider halting suicide attacks if Israel withdrew from occupied West Bank cities.

In the raid, an Israeli F-16 warplane dropped a powerful one-ton precision "smart bomb" on a densely populated Gaza City neighborhood, leveling several residences.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon called the strike a "great success" but said he regretted the death of civilians.