U.N. Endorses Palestinian State

Palestinian leaders on Tuesday welcomed a U.N. Security Council resolution endorsing a Palestinian state.

But the Palestinian information minister said the U.N. vote needs to be backed up by "direct international intervention," specifically action to end Israeli occupation of Palestinian towns.

Only Syria abstained from the measure, which affirms "side-by-side" Israeli and Palestinian states.

The Israeli foreign ministry endorsed the resolution's call for a cease-fire but is avoided comment on Palestinian statehood.

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan urged Palestinians to stop "morally repugnant" acts of terror and asked Israel to end "illegal occupation" of Palestinian land.

The U.N. vote came as Palestinian and Israeli leaders await the arrival of U.S. special envoy to the Middle East Anthony Zinni, who is due in the Middle East on Thursday.

Zinni is expected to lobby for a pullback of Israeli forces from Palestinian towns in the West Bank.

More than 20,000 Israeli troops, along with Israeli tanks, were mobilized this week in Palestinian territories in the West Bank and Gaza. It is the largest mobilized Israeli force since Israel's 1982 invasion of Lebanon.

On Tuesday, Israeli forces seized control of the major West Bank city of Ramallah, where Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat currently is headquartered. Thirty-one Palestinians and six Israelis were killed Tuesday.

Israeli troops have been exchanging fire with Palestinian gunmen as dozens of tanks patrol the streets of Ramallah, the Palestinians' commercial center in the West Bank. An Israeli soldier, a senior Palestinian officer and an Italian photographer have been killed in the fighting Wednesday.

Local doctors say seven Palestinians were wounded when three helicopters fired machine guns at gunmen. One doctor said tanks are preventing ambulances from reaching Ramallah Hospital.

The Israeli military says soldiers accidentally cut off power and water to the hospital and are working to repair the damage.

Zinni also will try to mediate a peace plan and is expected to discuss a Saudi peace plan that outlines Pelastinian land in exchange for formal recognition of Israel by Arab nations.