UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 4 (Xinhuanet) -- In the wake of escalating deadly violence in the Gaza Strip, the UN Security Council met Monday at an open debate to hear many speakers urge an end to conflict there.

    In the past six days, the Israeli Defense Forces killed 83 Palestinians, including 20 children under the age of 18, and injured more than 350 others, Palestinian UN Observer Nasser Al-Kidwa told the 15-member council.

    The bulk of those offenses had occurred when the Israeli forcesswept through the northern part of the Gaza Strip, rushing in morethan 2,000 soldiers and more than 100 tanks, armored vehicles and bulldozers, according to the observer.

    "The Israeli Defense Forces used all that massive military might without discrimination," he said. "It even used missiles against human Palestinian targets."

    He urged the council to take "a serious position, in order to put an end to that constantly unfolding tragedy."

    "It must call on Israel to cease its aggression and halt its military aggressions, and not to repeat such actions in the future," he noted.

    Backed by many Arab nations, the Palestinians had tabled at thecouncil a draft resolution demanding a prompt end to the escalating military actions in the Gaza Strip.

    Defending his country's action, Israeli UN Ambassador Dan Gillerman said the council had been "galvanized into action not because of the murder of children, but rather the defense of thosemurders."

    "On Sept. 29, the eve of the Sukkot holiday," said the Israeli ambassador, "two Israeli children were murdered by Qassam rockets fired at their home in the southern Israeli town of Sderot."

    "The murder of the two young children was only the latest in a continuing onslaught of such terrorist incidents in which the innocent civilians of Sderot and neighboring communities had been targeted without respite," he added.

    Despite the fact that the Palestinian National Authority had thousands of police and security personnel in the Gaza Strip, theywere doing nothing to halt the firing of Qassam rockets on Israelicommunities, Gillerman said, noting that "it was an insufferable situation that no country could or would tolerate."

    China's Deputy UN Ambassador Zhang Yishan told the council thatthe Israeli military operation had caused heavy casualties among Palestinian civilians, including women and children.

    "There had been a further escalation of the conflict, which hadexacerbated the situation in the Middle East," he said.

    He strongly urged Israel to halt its military operations against Palestinians and keep the situation from veering out of control.

    He also called for an end to attacks against Israeli civilians,saying peace in the Middle East could only be realized through negotiation, not the use of violence and force.

    The council could not remain indifferent and act as a "mere spectator," but should take measures to fulfill its responsibilityto protect civilians, he said. Enditem