KUALA LUMPUR - MALAYSIA on Monday called on the United Nations to convene an emergency session on the Israeli military offensive in Gaza, saying it had a 'moral duty' to end the violence.

'I note that the UN Security Council continues to fail to act on this critical matter,' Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said in a statement.

'I therefore urge that an emergency special session of the UN General Assembly be convened to adopt a 'Uniting for Peace' resolution'.

While the Security Council includes the five permanent members and 10 elected nations, the General Assembly represents all member states.

'The United Nations Security Council has a moral duty to stop the atrocities committed by Israel and demand a ceasefire by all sides,' he added.

Mr Abdullah said Malaysia's representative to the UN would raise the issue with the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) of developing nations and the 57-member Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC).

The premier of majority-Muslim Malaysia accused the United States of failing its responsibilities as a superpower by failing to take action.

'The United States has the capacity to and can stop the atrocities but they have chosen other options,' Mr Abdullah said according to state media.

'I hope the United States and its allies will not impede efforts to convene the special general assembly.'

Mr Abdullah condemned Washington for blocking a UN resolution calling for an end to the Israeli offensive, and said it should have used its influence to bring about a ceasefire.

'This move is something which the world community cannot have respect for,' he said according to the official Bernama news agency.

UN chief Ban Ki Moon has said he regretted the Security Council's failure to reach an accord on Israeli's military assault on the Gaza Strip and appealed for unity to end the nine-day crisis.

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas and Arab foreign ministers were to convene at UN headquaters in New York on Monday to appeal for international pressure to end the hostilities that have killed some 500 Palestinians.