Washington - US President George W has authorized the airlift of equipment to Sudan's Darfur region in support of a UN peacekeeping mission, the White House said Monday.

Bush approved US support for the mission as he was to meet with Sudanese Vice President Salva Kiir, a rival of President Omar al-Bashir. The president has been the target of US sanctions for his failure to reign in the government-backed militias waging war in Darfur.

"The United States will continue to lead the international community to stand by the people of Darfur and to deploy and support the UN peacekeeping operation," national security adviser Stephen Hadley said.

New York  - The United Nations Security Council was meeting late Saturday at UN headquarters in New York to discuss the Mideast conflict, hours after Israeli troops launched a ground offensive into the Gaza Strip.

The hastily arranged meeting, called by Arab countries, was held behind closed doors.

Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian Authority's envoy to the UN, demanded that the Security Council compel Israel to begin an immediate ceasefire and to withdraw ground forces to previous positions outside the territory.

New York  - The United Nations Security Council was due to begin meeting late Saturday at UN headquarters in New York to discuss the Mideast conflict, hours after Israeli troops launched a ground offensive into the Gaza Strip.

Details of the hastily arranged, closed-door meeting were not available.

The Security Council has been unable to reach agreement on the violence since an Israeli bombing campaign began on December 27, in response to stepped up rocket fire toward southern Israel by Gaza militants.

Ramallah  - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called Saturday for the United Nations Security Council to hold an urgent meeting to stop the Israeli air and ground offensives on the Gaza Strip.

Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said in a statement that Abbas called on the Security Council to convene immediately "to halt and stop the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip."

"President Abbas intensified his contacts with Arab and foreign countries to stop the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip without any preconditions," Erekat said.

New York - Arab governments are planning to meet Monday in New York to discuss an end to the Israel-Hamas fighting, a representative of the Arab League said Friday.

New York - A United Nations official said Friday arrangements should be worked out to end the current fighting between Israel and Hamas, including bringing the Palestinian Authority back in control of the Gaza Strip.

Robert Serry, the UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process based in Jerusalem, said an immediate ceasefire has become "imperative."