UN calls emergency meeting on 'Israeli actions'

The UN General Assembly has called an emergency meeting on "illegal Israeli actions" in Palestinian territories.

The request, by Egypt, was on behalf of the Arab League and South Africa, which heads the non-aligned movement of mainly developing countries.

It comes four days after the US vetoed a Palestinian-backed resolution in the Security Council.

Egypt's UN Ambassador, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, said the 189-member General Assembly will be asked to vote on the same resolution vetoed by the US "to show how large is the majority of support for that resolution".

The vetoed resolution would have condemned "acts of terror" against Israelis and Palestinians.

It also would have demanded an end to nearly 15 months of Middle East violence and established a "monitoring mechanism" to bring in observers, which Israel opposes.

It was supported by 12 of the 15 council members with Britain and Norway abstaining.

US Ambassador John Negroponte said he cast a veto because the resolution was aimed at isolating Israel politically and made no mention of recent suicide bombings and attacks against Israel or the terrorist organisations responsible, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

The supporters of the Palestinians will also ask the General Assembly to endorse a declaration adopted by more than 100 countries in Geneva on December 5.

It demands that Israel as an "occupying power" immediately refrain from such acts as "willful killing," torture, and extensive destruction of property.