UN Security Council to meet over Gaza crisis

NEW YORK: The UN Security Council was to hold an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss the situation in Gaza, where a truce is holding between members of Islamic Jihad and Israel after three days of deadly conflict.

China, which holds the presidency of the Security Council in August, announced the emergency meeting on Saturday, with Ambassador Zhang Jun expressing his concern over Gaza's worst fighting since an 11-day war last year.

Ahead of the meeting, Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan accused Islamic Jihad of using Gazans as human shields.

Israel had since Friday launched a heavy aerial and artillery bombardment in Gaza.

An Egypt-brokered ceasefire reached late Sunday ended the intense fighting that killed 44 people, including 15 children, and wounded 360 in the enclave according to Gaza's health ministry.

Both sides have reserved the right to respond if the ceasefire is violated.

The Security Council's consultations will take place on Monday afternoon in New York. No statement is expected after the meeting, several diplomatic sources have said.