Wennesland said that the UN’s assessment of the violence was ongoing, noting that “some 20 percent” of the approximately 1,100 rockets fired by armed Palestinian groups had fallen within the Gaza Strip.

The fighting was the worst in Gaza since last year’s 11-day war that killed at least 250 people.

Ahead of the meeting, Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan called for the council to place “full accountability” on Islamic Jihad.

“There must be one outcome and one outcome only, to condemn the [Islamic Jihad] for its double war crimes while placing the full accountability … for the murder of innocent Palestinians on the shoulder of the radical terror group,” he said at a press briefing.

“This Council should be able to come together and unconditionally repudiate the terrorism of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, whose reckless actions have put the lives of civilians, on both sides, at risk,” she said.

Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour condemned Israel’s “unjustified aggression”.

“Are you ready to say enough is enough? As the highest authority responsible for the maintenance of international peace and security?” he demanded. “How many more children do we have to bury until someone says enough is enough?”

The Security Council’s consultations took place at the UN headquarters in New York.

No statement is expected after the closed-door meeting, which will follow the open debate, several diplomatic sources told the AFP news agency.

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