UN Security Council
UN Security CouncilReuters

The UN Security Council will meet on Wednesday to discuss the rocket attacks by Gaza terrorists on Israel, AFP reported on Tuesday.

The meeting will be held at the request of the United States which wants the top UN body to strongly condemn the attacks.

The United States circulated a draft statement calling on the council to condemn "in the strongest terms the indiscriminate firing of rockets by Palestinian militants in Gaza" toward Israel, according to a copy of the text seen by AFP.

During Wednesday’s meeting, the council will hear a report from UN envoy for the Middle East Nickolay Mladenov. The meeting is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. local time (1900 GMT).

The U.S.-drafted council statement would demand that Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other terrorist groups "cease all violent activity and provocative actions, including along the boundary fence, and cease putting civilians at risk through their actions."

Earlier on Tuesday, the United States called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss the latest attacks on Israel out of Gaza.

“The recent attacks out of Gaza are the largest we have seen since 2014. Mortars fired by Palestinian militants hit civilian infrastructure, including a kindergarten. The Security Council should be outraged and respond to this latest bout of violence directed at innocent Israeli civilians, and the Palestinian leadership needs to be held accountable for what they’re allowing to happen in Gaza,” said the U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley.

Separately, reported AFP, council diplomats are negotiating a draft resolution, put forward by Kuwait, that calls for an "international protection mission" to be deployed for the Palestinians.

Diplomats said the United States is likely to use its veto to block adoption of that measure, but Kuwait is hoping to win backing from the 14 other council members to highlight Washington's isolation on the Israeli-Palestinian Arab issue.

More than 80 rockets and mortars were fired from Gaza at southern Israel on Tuesday, including rockets manufactured in Iran.

Tuesday’s barrages began with the launching of 28 mortar shells at Israel communities near Gaza early Tuesday morning. One mortar struck near a kindergarten shortly before the children were to arrive for class.

One rocket damaged a facility which provides electricity to Gaza, cutting power to the Hamas-run enclave.

The Hamas and Islamic Jihad terror groups claimed responsibility for the rocket and mortar barrages.

The IDF responded to the continuing rocket attacks with a series of airstrikes against terrorist targets in Gaza.