UNITED NATIONS, Nov 7: The Palestinian observer to the United Nations on Monday called for a ceasefire to end an Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip that has killed over 50 Palestinians in the last six days.

Mr Riyad Mansour said the Palestinians were willing to accept UN observers to monitor the ceasefire along the Gaza-Israel border.

He asked for an open meeting of the UN Security Council and said the ambassadors would prepare a draft resolution that would condemn the Israeli action and call for an immediate ceasefire and withdrawal of Israeli troops from the coastal strip.

Mr Mansour said a letter from Secretary-General Kofi Annan released on Nov 3, which called for Israel to refrain from escalation of hostilities and urged Palestinian militants to stop firing rockets at Israeli targets, “was a step in the right direction” but that more effective action was needed.

“It is the Security Council’s job to rouse up to its responsibility and adopt something to respond to the situation,” he added.

He also said negotiations to conclude the formation of a national unity government in Gaza were close to bearing fruit. An agreement to have an independent technocrat selected to the post of prime minister, and mutually endorsed by Hamas and Fatah forces, was under consideration to replace Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh. The cabinet would also be made up by technocrats from Hamas, Fatah and other groups.

Asked how the ongoing conflict affected internal negotiations to form a unity government, he said it was difficult to solidify the negotiations during the aggression from Israel.