UN Security Council's growing anger

The UN is angered by failure to act on both sides

By the BBC's Greg Barrow BBC correspondent at the UN

The United Nations Security Council has issued a strong statement reminding the Israeli and Palestinian leadership of their obligations under international law.

There is increasing concern over the ferocity of Israel's military operations

It is calling for Israel to implement recent UN resolutions calling for both a ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Palestinian cities and towns.

A statement made after an emergency session of the council on Sunday evening criticised the Israeli use of force during its incursions into the West Bank.

There is growing anger among Security Council diplomats about the failure of both the Israelis and the Palestinians to act on recent UN resolutions.

'Disturbed'

In the past few days, the council has invested much time and energy in maintaining diplomatic pressure on both sides.

Lavrov: Continuation of violence "unacceptable"

But the Palestinians have so far failed to make any public statement about a ceasefire, and the Israelis appear to have intensified the scope and force of their incursions in the West Bank.

After the emergency meeting on Sunday evening the current president of the council, Russian Ambassador Sergei Lavrov, said council members were deeply disturbed by the failure to implement recent resolutions.

Violence 'unacceptable'

While the council is aware that it needs to apply pressure equally on the Palestinians as well as the Israelis, there were signs of increasing concern about the ferocity of the Israeli army's operations in the West Bank.

The statement read by Ambassador Lavrov said that council members believed the continuation of violence by those in control of events on the ground is unacceptable.

These views are likely to be repeated during private conversations Mr Lavrov has with both the Israeli ambassador and the Palestinian observer to the UN.

The council has called for private consultations with both men on Monday and is expected to follow these up with another public debate on the Middle East later in the afternoon.