Arabs seek UN action on barrier

By Greg Barrow BBC correspondent at the UN in New York

Arab diplomats at the United Nations say they have requested an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss the Israeli Government's construction of a security barrier between Israel and the West Bank.

Israel says it needs the structure to protect it from Palestinian attacks

A draft resolution obtained by the BBC declares that the structure is illegal under international law and must be halted.

Arab diplomats have been threatening for some time to request action from the UN Security Council in relation to construction of the "wall".

The Israelis say the barrier is necessary to protect Israeli civilians from attacks by Palestinian gunmen and suicide bombers.

But Palestinians argue that it is encroaching on more Palestinian land and making a number of Israeli settlements in the border areas permanent.

Guide to the route and structure of the West Bank barrier

At-a-glance

A draft resolution which Arab diplomats say they will present to the Security Council declares that the construction is illegal under international law and must be ceased and reversed.

The resolution also calls on the UN Secretary-General to submit periodic reports to the Security Council on whether Israel is complying with this demand.

Some members of the Middle East "quartet", the body which has been mediating in the region, have been calling on the Israeli Government to end construction of the fence. But the US - Israel's closest ally - has been less than vocal on this topic.

While the draft Arab resolution may draw sympathy from many on the Security Council, it does not meet up to the standards demanded by US diplomats, who argue that any resolution on the Middle East has to include a robust condemnation of the activities of militant groups including Hamas and Islamic Jihad.