Frustration grows at UN at inertia on Israeli-Palestinian bloodshed

Biden administration slowing UN efforts to speak out against the violence

Israeli artillery in action as the escalation continues between the Israeli army and Hamas at the Gaza Border. EPA

Mourners attend the funeral of Palestinian Rashid Abu Ara, 16, who was killed during clashes with Israeli troops in village of Aqaba near Nablus, north of the West Bank. AFP

A heavily damaged house in a residential area in the city of Yehud, in central Israel. AFP

Parents of Palestinian man Abdulsalam Al-Ghazali, who was killed amid a flare-up of Israeli-Palestinian violence, react during their son funeral in Gaza City. Reuters

Residents look at a car that was hit in an Israeli air strike, on the main road in Gaza City. Three people who were in the vehicle died. AP

Palestinians mourn the death of relatives outside a hospital in Beit Lahia following a series of Israeli air strikes on the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. AFP

Israeli Arabs treat a sheep that was wounded by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip, where nearby a father and his daughter were killed, in the village of Dahmash near the Israeli city of Lod. AP

An injured man receives treatment at the scene after a rocket launched from the Gaza strip struck in Giv'atayim, Israel. Getty

A man looks at the damage in the aftermath of overnight Israeli air strikes on Gaza. EPA

A Jewish man at a burnt-out synagogue after overnight riots between Arab and Jewish residents in Lod, Israel. EPA

Relatives of Palestinian Rashid Abu Arra, 16, who was killed during clashes with Israeli troops in the village of Aqqaba near Nablus at the hospital morgue in Tubas in the occupied West Bank. AFP

Rubble from the Hanadi tower after an Israeli air strike on Gaza City. EPA

Israeli security forces pass burnt-out vehicles in Holon near Tel Aviv. AFP

A huge crater in Gaza City caused by the Israeli air strikes. AFP

A broken mannequin near a tower building in Gaza City that was hit by Israeli air strikes during the flare-up of Israeli-Palestinian violence. Reuters

Fires at sunrise in Khan Yunish after an Israeli air strike on targets in the southern Gaza strip. AFP

Palestinian rescuers move an elderly woman from a building in Gaza City after Israeli air strikes in the area. AP Photo

Palestinians evacuate after their tower building was hit by Israeli air strikes, in Gaza City. Reuters

The remains of a rocket, destroyed by Israel's Iron Dome aerial defence system, which was fired by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas from the Gaza strip. AFP

An Iron Dome aerial defence system battery is seen in the foreground as fire rages at Ashkelon's refinery, which was hit by Hamas rockets the previous day, in the southern Israeli city. AFP

Palestinians stand next to the remains of a tower building which was destroyed in Israeli air strikes, in Gaza City. Reuters

A Palestinian man holds an injured girl awaiting medical care at al-Shifa hospital, after an Israeli air strike in Gaza city. AFP

People take shelter in the basement of a building in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv as alarm sirens wailed after 3:00 a.m. after rockets were launched towards Israel from the Gaza Strip. AFP

Israeli border police vehicles drive past an extinguished burnt vehicle in Lod near Tel Aviv, after rockets were launched towards Israel from the Gaza Strip controlled by the Palestinian Hamas movement. AFP

An Israeli police officer gestures to a Palestinian woman and her daughter, frightened by clashes outside of the Damascus Gate to the Old City of Jerusalem. AP Photo

Israeli firefighters walk by a car with a fallen tree on it after it was hit by a rocket fired from Gaza towards Holon, Israel. Reuters

Palestinians inspect a destroyed Hanadi tower after Israeli airstrike in Gaza City. EPA

Arab Israelis gesture and wave Palestinian flags during the funeral of Mousa Hassouna in the central Israeli city of Lod near Tel Aviv. Hassouna was killed during clashes with Israeli security following an anti-Israel demonstration over tensions in Jerusalem. AFP

Rescuers rush to help among the rubble in front of Al Sharouk tower, that collapsed after being hit by an Israeli air strike, in Gaza city on Wednesday. AFP

Palestinians view the smouldering remains of Al Sharouk tower, which collapsed after being hit by an Israeli air strike. AFP

Smoke and flames rise from Al Sharouk tower, as it collapses after being hit by an Israeli air strike in Gaza City. AFP

Al Sharouk tower block collapses after being hit by an Israeli air strike. AFP

A man peers out to survey destroyed buildings in Gaza city, following Israeli air strikes. AFP

A plume of black smoke rises into the air in Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, following an Israeli air strike on the area, which is controlled by the militant Hamas movement. AFP

Parts of a broken mannequin lie scattered near a building that was hit by Israeli air strikes in Gaza city. Reuters

A Palestinian woman mourns her son Rasheed Abu Arra, who was killed during confrontations with Israeli forces, at his funeral in the village of Aqaba, near the West Bank town of Tubas. AP Photo

Women mourn at the funeral of Palestinian Rasheed Abu Arra, who was killed during confrontations with Israeli forces, in the town of Aqaba, near Tubas, in the West Bank. Reuters

Israel's Iron Dome air defence system intercepts a rocket launched from the Gaza Strip, above the southern Israeli city of Ashdod. AFP

UN Security Council members expressed frustration on Wednesday at the lack of action by the body, as the US delayed any public statement about the worst violence between Israelis and Palestinians in years.

The second emergency UN session since the crisis erupted came after another night of Palestinian militants firing hundreds of rockets from Gaza and Israeli forces pounding the densely populated strip with air strikes.

At least 53 Palestinians and six people in Israel have been killed since Monday.

Tunisia, Norway, China and other members of the 15-nation body are pushing for a public statement expressing concern about the clashes and the evictions of Palestinians in a Jerusalem neighbourhood by Israeli settlers that have inflamed tensions in recent weeks.

But the US is understood to be delaying any such public move from the council, reportedly saying it would be counterproductive as it tries to defuse tension between the two sides through direct negotiations.

The UN mission of Ireland, a temporary council member, said the body "cannot stay silent" in the face of "disproportionate Israeli actions in Gaza", where warplanes flattened two tower blocks on Tuesday and Wednesday.

“The Security Council must speak on this issue and condemn violence against civilians by all parties and call for an immediate ceasefire,” Ireland’s Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said on Twitter.

“People of the Gaza Strip cannot endure another war. Rockets from Gaza into Israel must stop.”

Council members were briefed online by Tor Wennesland, the UN’s co-ordinator for the long-stalled peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians. The UN was pushing for a ceasefire as the rocket fire and air strikes continued.

“Stop the fire immediately. We’re escalating towards a full-scale war,” Mr Wennesland said via Twitter late on Tuesday.

“Leaders on all sides have to take the responsibility of de-escalation.”

Council members are discussing a draft statement that would express concern about the fighting and the looming evictions, urge Israel to halt settlement activities, demolitions and evictions, and call for restraint.

Such statements must be agreed to by consensus, but diplomats said the US had put the brakes on any public address for now. The US mission to the UN told Reuters it was pushing for moves that would be “helpful in de-escalating tension”.

Ken Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, criticised Washington for failing to act against the "new violence and abuses" by Israelis and Palestinians.

Sherine Tadros, the UN representative for Amnesty International, said the global community’s handling of tension between Israelis and Palestinians had been stuck in the same loop of violence for decades.

“Same statements, same accusations, same reactions, same war, same senseless deaths, same ceasefire, same siege and same misery for people in Gaza when this round is over,” Ms Tadros posted on Twitter.