He said an international presence was needed not only to protect Palestinians, but also as a crucial step toward rebuilding the Palestinian Authority's administration.

Then it instructs the Secretary General to prepare a report on protecting Palestinians under Israeli control even if he cannot send envoys to Israel.

The principal sticking points include a Palestinian demand for an international presence in the occupied territories to help protect Palestinians.

The mission was to report on the Oct. 8 incident and suggest ways to protect Palestinians in the occupied territories from further violence.

Palestinian officials denounced the actions as dangerous aggression that underlines the need for an international force to protect Palestinians.

In threatening a veto, Washington has argued that Israel would never agree to United Nations involvement in protecting Palestinians.

"We discovered we really have to protect Palestinians from settlers and not just the other way around."

- Protect Palestinians from settler violence.

Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin said today that Israel felt a "moral commitment" to protect Palestinians living under occupation.

It wants the Security Council to send its own team to the scene and to have an observer team to protect Palestinians against mistreatment by Israel.