By Irwin Arieff - UNITED NATIONS (Reuters- July 6, 2006)

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Wednesday urged Israelis and Palestinians to "step back from the brink," warning that their escalating confrontation could soon turn explosive.

He issued a statement as Arab and other Islamic nations renewed a drive at the United Nations for a Security Council resolution demanding that Israel immediately pull out of Gaza and release all Palestinian officials it has detained.
 

Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo, U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan and Pierre Schori, special representative of Annan in Ivory Coast are seen on July 5, 2006. Annan on Wednesday urged Israelis and Palestinians to "step back from the brink," warning that their escalating confrontation could soon turn explosive. (REUTERS/Luc Gnago)

"The situation is dangerous and could be explosive. The secretary-general urges all concerned to step back from the brink," U.N. chief spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in the statement, issued in Ghana where Annan was traveling.

In New York, ambassadors from the 57 nations making up the Organization of the Islamic Conference met to adopt a statement condemning Israel`s "large-scale military assault" in Gaza and its arrest and detention of Palestinian officials.

The bloc called on the Security Council to "act promptly" to pressure Israel to "cease its aggression" against Palestinian civilians and seek emergency aid for Gaza.

Diplomats from Islamic nations said the statement was part of a broad campaign by various U.N. blocs to ratchet up pressure on the 15-nation council to act against Israel.

They said campaigners planned to unveil a draft resolution as early as Thursday in hopes of council action.

But the odds of a resolution were dim as the United States, Israel`s closest ally, has veto power in the 15-nation council and strongly opposes council intervention in the Middle East.

At a public council meeting last Friday, Palestinian U.N. Observer Riyad Mansour urged the U.N. body to pressure
Israel to quickly end its Gaza offensive while U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said Syria and Iran must first end their role as "state sponsors of terror" and condemn Hamas militants.

Bolton said this week Washington opposed another council meeting. The body debated the crisis on Friday "and as of now, we don`t see a point in meeting further," he said.

Israel sent tanks and troops into Gaza and detained dozens of Palestinian officials last week after Palestinian militants seized an Israeli soldier. The situation has since steadily escalated as militants in Gaza fired missiles into Israel while
Israel launched attacks against Palestinian targets.