UNITED NATIONS, Jan 22: The UN Security Council met in emergency session on Tuesday to mull a call for ending the Israeli siege of the Gaza Strip as the Jewish state eased its lockdown and allowed in limited amounts of fuel to the impoverished territory.

The open meeting, which kicked off 45 minutes behind schedule at 10:45 am (1545 GMT), had been requested by Arab and Islamic states amid a growing international outcry at what the European Union termed the “collective punishment” of Gaza’s 1.5 million residents.

The 15 ambassadors were negotiating on a draft statement submitted by Libya, the council chair this month, that would call on Israel to end its blockade of Gaza and ensure “unhindered access for humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people,” according to a copy of the text.

The statement would also urge Israel “to abide by its obligation under international law, including humanitarian and human rights law, and immediately to cease all its illegal measures and practices against the Palestinian civilian population in the Gaza Strip.” But western diplomats said they would push for language that would also call for an end to rocket firing into Israel by Gaza-based militants.

Palestinian UN observer Ryad Mansour told the council that since the Nov 27 Middle East conference in the US city of Annapolis, “more than 160 Palestinians have been killed by the occupying power, including at least 12 children and nine women, with the majority of the killed and wounded in Gaza.”

Warning that the Israeli “aggression” risks jeopardising the prospects for peace raised by the Annapolis meeting, he said the council “must demand that Israel, the occupying power, immediately cease its military aggression, its collective punishment of the Palestinian people and all other violations of international law in the occupied Palestinian territory.” But Israel’s UN delegate Gilad Cohen said his country had an obligation to protect and defend its people against rocket attacks which he squarely blamed on Gaza’s ruling Hamas Islamic movement.

“I ask each member of the council: What would you do if London, Moscow, Paris or Tripoli was attacked and fired on?,” he said. “A clear distinction must be made between Palestinian terrorism and Israeli defence, not only in practice and tactic, but also in terms of their morality and legality.”

Briefing the council on the latest situation in Gaza, UN under secretary general for political affairs Lynn Pascoe pointed to a “significant de-escalation in violence in the past few days.” He demanded that Israel “reconsider and cease its policy of pressuring the civilian population of Gaza for the unacceptable actions of militants” who unleash rocket fire into the Jewish state.

He reiterated UN chief Ban Ki-moon’s strong support for a plan by Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas for the Palestinian Authority to man crossings into Gaza, particularly Karni.

“Early implementation of this initiative should be a priority,” Pascoe said.

Meanwhile on Tuesday, power returned to parts of Gaza City as Israel eased a punishing blockade now in its fifth day and allowed in limited amounts of fuel to the impoverished Hamas-run territory in the face strong international reaction and warnings of a humanitarian crisis.

Trucks carrying cooking gas, industrial diesel and fuel oil entered Gaza early Tuesday for the first time since Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak ordered the coastal strip sealed off late on Thursday in response to persistent rocket fire.

Hours later the territory’s sole power plant went back online and electricity returned to blocks in Gaza City that had been without power since it shut down on Sunday after running out of fuel.

Trucks carrying medicine and other humanitarian aid were expected to be allowed into Gaza on Wednesday.

But international aid agencies warned that Gaza was at risk of a “total collapse” of its infrastructure as Israel’s economic blockade left it without vital power and food supplies.

The lockdown came as Gaza was already reeling from restrictions Israel imposed after Hamas seized power seven months ago.

Over the past week, Israeli raids in Gaza have killed at least 37 people, mostly militants, while gunmen have launched some 200 rockets or mortar rounds into Israel, lightly wounding at least 10 people.—AFP