US blocks UN council's Israel draft

The United States blocked a UN Security Council statement drafted by Arab nations and aimed at putting pressure on Israel to stop military strikes on Palestinian targets.

The US ambassador to the UN, John Bolton, said on Thursday that the draft, even after three days of intense negotiations, "was disproportionately critical of Israel, and unfairly so, and needlessly so".

The Palestinian UN observer, Riyad Mansour, accused Washington of "shielding and protecting Israeli activities and aggression against the Palestinian people".

"It was obvious that many of their concerns were accommodated, but yet they kept coming back and coming back for additional things. It was obvious they did not want the Security Council to have a position," Mansour said.