The UN Security Council on Tuesday, November 13, 2018, held a closed meeting to discuss the recent military escalation in the Gaza Strip, but failed to reach any agreement on ways to resolve the situation in the besieged sector, diplomats said.

The meeting, which was held at the requests of Kuwait, who represents the Arab states in the Council, and Bolivia, lasted 50 minutes and ended in failure, Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, said.

“There is one country that is not allowing discussion at the council,” Mansour said, referring to the United States, whose position in the United Nations have been increasingly biased towards the occupation since Donald Trump became president.

The Security Council has not been able to issue an official statement on the situation in Gaza, since Council statements must be unanimous.

In turn, the Kuwaiti ambassador to the United Nations said that the majority of the members of the Security Council considered that the Council must "do something”, such as a visit the region, but no decision was made in this regard.

Danny Danon, the UN ambassador to the United Nations, told the Council meeting, "Certain morally bankrupt members of the Security Council will jump to blame Israel, and others who pretend to be objective will call for restraint on both sides. But let me be clear: there is no 'both sides'. There is Hamas that attacks and fires over 460 missiles at civilians, and there is Israel that protects its people. The Security Council must condemn Hamas for its aggressive assault and finally designate it as a terrorist organization," he added.

The meeting of the Security Council comes after the Palestinian factions in Gaza, led by Hamas, agreed to an Egyptian mediation to a cease-fire.

The Palestinian factions said they would abide by the truce as long as the occupation government, commits as well.

Seven Palestinians have been killed in the past two days during raids on the Gaza Strip, in retaliation for the rocket fire into the Jewish settlements, in the worst escalation since 2014.

The latest escalation began Sunday evening, when an Israeli special operation stormed Gaza Strip, which was followed by a clash with Hamas fighters.

Palestinians responded by firing hundreds of rockets and mortars into Israel. An anti-tank missile targeted a bus which Hamas states was used by Israeli forces, seriously injuring an Israeli soldier.

The Israeli government and Palestinian militants in Gaza have fought three wars since 2008. Protests on the border between Gaza and Israel have raised fears of a fourth war, since March 30.