Both Palestinian and Israeli representatives at the United Nations on Monday voiced disappointment at a U.N. Security Council statement endorsing a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza.

The Presidential Statement, which was adopted at an emergency council meeting in the early hours of the day, expressed "strong support for the call by international partners and the secretary-general of the United Nations (Ban Ki-moon) for an immediate and unconditional humanitarian ceasefire."

Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian permanent observer to the United Nations, was the first to speak of disappointment to reporters waiting outside the council chambers.

"We were expecting to see the Security Council deal with the issue of providing protection for our people and to deal with legitimate concerns of our people in the Gaza Strip," Mansour said.

"These elements were not reflected in this statement and we are disappointed in that sense," he said. "We thought that a resolution should be in order and we will continue pressing the Security Council to shoulder its responsibility to put an end to this aggression."

The Presidential Statement, while being an official proclamation endorsed by all members of the council, does not carry the weight of international law as does a resolution.

For his part, Ambassador Ron Prosor of Israel was also disappointed that there was no mention of Hamas, which rules over Gaza.

"We heard a Presidential Statement right now from the Security Council that miraculously managed not to mention Hamas or rockets or Israel's right to defend its citizens," he said.

"Hamas sends suicide bombers to our schools, buses and cities," Prosor said. "They dig tunnels of terror that reach the doorsteps of our homes, schools and kindergartens."

The 20-day Israeli offensive in Gaza has cost the lives of over 1,000 Palestinians and injured more than 6,000, according to Gaza health ministry.

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