Arab nations called for an open U.N. Security Council debate and a vote on a proposed resolution on Friday that demands an end to the violence in the Middle East and international monitoring to help protect Palestinian civilians. Tunisia, the only Arab country on the 15-member Security Council, introduced a draft resolution that included a "monitoring mechanism" to improve the situation on the ground. It said there had been a "dangerous deterioration" in the violence between Israelis and Palestinians.

The 15-member Security Council met late on Thursday behind closed doors to discuss the request, initiated by the Palestinians. Members decided to consult again late on Friday afternoon before deciding whether to have a public debate.
The United States, which in March vetoed a similar resolution that called for an observer force, said its position has not changed.
"The resolution, apart from all the other defects of Security Council resolutions, has the even more serious defect now of being completely disconnected from the reality on the ground," U.S. representative James Cunningham said.
The Arab group measure "demands the immediate cessation of all acts of violence, provocation and destruction, as well as the return to the positions and arrangements which existed prior to September 2000" when the current conflict began. Bureau Report