The UN Security Council called for an immediate cessation of violence in the Gaza Region on Sunday.

In wake of the “Cast Lead” operation in Gaza, Arab countries in the council called for an emergency meeting to discuss and condemn the operation.

A Russian-drafted press statement is planned to call for an immediate cessation of rocket attacks on Israel.

Israeli Ambassador Gabriela Shalev sent a response to the planned meeting on Saturday night, telling members of the UN that Israel has the right to defend her citizens from attack. Gaza terrorists fired hundreds of rockets at Israeli towns in the days before the operation began.

“There is no justification for this whatsoever,” Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian UN observer told reporters moments before the closed emergency session began. “This collective punmishment is inhumane, immoral, and should be stopped immediately. There is no justification for punishing 1.5 million Palestinians in Gaza because of the actions of a few.”

According to Gaza sources quoted by Ynet, 15 of those killed in Saturday airstrikes in Gaza were civilians. The remaining 215 were terrorists linked to Hamas, many of them members of the Hamas “police” in Gaza.