Acting on behalf of Arab and Islamic nations, Qatar circulated a draft U.N. Security Council resolution Thursday demanding Israel end its offensive in the Gaza Strip and release the Palestinian officials it has arrested.

The draft faced immediate opposition from the United States and France, which called it unbalanced in its criticism of Israel.

France's ambassador said he would offer changes, but U.S. Ambassador John Bolton suggested that Washington opposed the resolution entirely.

That raised the possibility that the United States, as a permanent member of the Security Council, would veto it.

Israel launched the offensive last week in response to the June 25 capture of an Israeli soldier.

The resolution calls on Israel to scrupulously abide by its obligations and responsibilities under the Geneva Convention, and expresses its grave concern about the dire humanitarian situation of the Palestinian people.

It demands that Israel cease its aggression against the Palestinian civilian population in Gaza, and also demands that Israel withdraw its forces immediately.

It expresses appreciation for efforts to find a diplomatic solution and release all prisoners, including Israeli soldier.

"We hope that the Security Council would rise to the occasion and would adopt a resolution and send the appropriate message to Israel to stop their aggression," said Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian U.N. observer.

Mansour implicitly criticized the United States for its claim that the resolution was unfair. In a meeting on the issue last week, he said one speaker — a clear reference to the U.S. — had delivered a speech that was exclusively supportive of Israel.

"I think those who speak with that spirit, maybe, might be the last people to talk about one-sided draft resolutions," he said.

France's U.N. Ambassador Jean-Marc de La Sabliere said his nation would try to make the resolution more acceptable to the wider council.

"We think that this text needs to be balanced, it's not balanced enough and we will propose amendments," he said. "It requires, we think, a lot of work."

PHOTO CAPTION

Riyad Mansour, Palestine's permanent observer at the United Nations, comments outside the Security Council Thursday, July 6, 2006 in New York. (AP)