UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The U.N. secretary-general said Tuesday it is his "hope and belief" that his emergency mission to the Middle East will lead to an end to the fighting between Hamas and Israel "in the very near future."
Ban Ki-moon told the Security Council by videoconference from the West Bank city of Ramallah that he could not publicly reveal details "at this highly sensitive moment." As he started to address the council a siren could be heard in the background.
The U.N. chief has also visited Qatar, Kuwait, Cairo and Jerusalem and said he will go on to Jordan and Saudi Arabia on what he called a mission "of solidarity and peace" to quickly end an escalating two-week war between Israelis and Hamas militants who control the Gaza Strip. Their third conflict in just over five years has already claimed the lives of at least 609 Palestinians, the vast majority civilians, and 29 Israelis - 27 soldiers and two civilians.
Meanwhile, in a sign of increased caution about flying near combat zones, U.S. and European airlines halted flights to Israel Tuesday after a rocket landed near Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport.
Delta Air Lines and United Airlines suspended service between the U.S. and Israel indefinitely. US Airways scrapped its one flight to Tel Aviv Tuesday. Germany's Lufthansa and Air France also suspended flights. The actions come days after a Malaysia Airlines jet was shot down over eastern Ukraine with 298 people on board.
Delta's one daily flight was already in the air. A Delta Boeing 747 from New York was flying over the Mediterranean headed for Tel Aviv when it turned around and flew to Paris instead. Flight 468 had 273 passengers and 17 crew on board. US Airways and United flights that were scheduled to take off later in the day. A Delta spokesman declined to go beyond the details released in a statement.
Following the action by the U.S. airlines, the Federal Aviation Administration prohibited U.S. airlines from flying to the Tel Aviv airport for 24 hours.
In the last three days Ban has met with the head of the Arab League and Arab, Palestinian and Israeli leaders as well as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Norway's foreign minister. He also spoke to French President Francois Hollande.
"Suffice it to say, it is my hope and belief that these talks will lead to results and an end to the fighting in the very near future," Ban said.
He cautioned, however, that "of course there are many obstacles and complexities."
Ban said "the most promising prospect of a cease-fire" is an Egyptian initiative to return to the cessation of fighting in November 2012 that has been endorsed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the Arab League - but not Hamas.
Ban stressed that a cease-fire without addressing the root causes of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will only delay the problem for yet another time.
U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power told the council that "an immediate cease-fire could not be more urgent or more important" and stressed that the United States "will not rest" until the fighting ends and the underlying issues are resolved leading to a two-state solution.
Egypt's U.N. Ambassador Mootaz Khalil urged acceptance of the Egyptian initiative and condemned Israel's disproportionate use of force, saying: "The Torah mandates an eye for an eye. It never dreamed a hundred eyes for only one."
"We hope our common efforts will result in an immediate cease-fire followed by negotiations to address the root causes of this ever-repeating, never-ending conflict, first and foremost ending the illegal blockade" of Gaza crossings controlled by Israel, he said.
The proposed resolution, backed by the Palestinians and their Arab and international supporters, was circulated to the 15 council members later Tuesday by Jordan, the Palestinians said.
The draft, obtained by The Associated Press, calls for "an immediate, durable and fully respected cease-fire, including the withdrawal of Israeli occupying forces from the Gaza Strip."
It urges support for the Egyptian cease-fire initiative and calls for "the sustained reopening" of crossing points into Gaza based on a 2005 agreement. It condemns violence against civilians and calls for "all necessary measures" to protect civilians including the "immediate cessation of military reprisals, collective punishment and excessive use of force against the Palestinian civilian population."
The resolution faces an uphill struggle winning approval from the United States, Israel's closest ally and a veto-wielding council member, especially because it makes no mention of Hamas or its rocketing of Israel.
Meanwhile, an Israeli soldier is missing following a deadly battle in the Gaza Strip, a defense official said Tuesday, as Israeli airstrikes pummeled a wide range of locations along the coastal area and diplomatic efforts intensified to end the two week war that has killed more than 600 Palestinians and 29 Israelis.
It was not immediately known if the missing soldier was alive or dead, the Israeli defense official told The Associated Press. The disappearance raised the possibility that he had been captured by Hamas - a nightmare scenario for Israel. In the past, Israel has paid a heavy price in lopsided prisoner swaps to retrieve captured soldiers or remains held by its enemies.