UN opens Gaza meeting
Security council begins meeting in New York to discuss draft resolution on Gaza crisis.
Abbas was to also address the meeting after meeting Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, earlier on Tuesday.
Diplomatic activity
Al Jazeera’s Ghida Fakhry, reporting from New York, said a draft resolution could be tabled by Libya, the only Arab member of the current security council, as early as Tuesday evening.
It could then be put to a council vote on Wednesday evening, although many ambassadors said this was unlikely, our correspondent said.
Last week, the US blocked a Libyan-backed proposal for the UN to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
The latest council meeting follows a flurry of diplomatic meetings on the crisis earlier on Tuesday and on Monday.