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Though it was not clear whether Israel would heed the Council's call, the resolution would increase pressure to stop military action for which it has faced widespread condemnation.
Fourteen of the 15 members voted in favour of the British sponsored resolution, while the US abstained despite agreeing with the goals.
The resolution "stresses the urgency of and calls for an immediate, durable and fully respected ceasefire, leading to the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza".
It "calls for the unimpeded provision and distribution throughout Gaza of humanitarian assistance, including of food, fuel and medical treatment" and "condemns all violence and hostilities directed against civilians and all acts of terrorism".
It also asked for efforts to "prevent illicit trafficking in arms and ammunition and to ensure the reopening of the crossing points (into Gaza)."
The resolution came on the 14th day of Israeli offensive in Gaza, as the international outcry reached a crescendo over the death of more than 750 Palestinians, including a large number of women and children, in the Tel Aviv's action.
Israeli operations have so far killed 758 Gazans of whom 257 are children and 56 women, and wounded 3,100 including 1,080 children and 452 women, according to Palestinian reports cited by the UN which its officials say are "credible."
Explaining America's abstention, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who had extended her stay for two days to participate in the negotiations, said the US wanted to see the outcome of the Egyptian initiative first, but allowed the resolution to go forward because it was a step in the right direction.
A negative vote by the US, one of the Council's permanent members with veto powers, would have killed the measure.
The resolution called for renewed efforts to achieve a comprehensive peace with two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace with secure and recognised borders.
The British-drafted text "welcomes the Egyptian initiative," the three-point truce proposal unveiled by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak Tuesday," and other regional and international efforts that are under way."
The West Bank-based Palestine Authority of President Mahmoud Abbas accepts the two-state solution, while Hamas, which seized control of Gaza in 2007, does not recognize Israel's right to exist.
The resolution "encourages tangible steps towards intra-Palestinian reconciliation."
Tel Aviv contends that it cannot hold talks with Hamas as a terrorist outfit cannot be equated with Israel, which is a UN member State.
The 15-member Council welcomed Egyptian and other efforts under way to end the current crisis, which began on December 27 with Israeli air strikes launched with the stated aim of ending Hamas rocket attacks into southern Israel.
Addressing the Council, several members saw the Egyptian initiative as the only viable way to establish a "lasting and durable" peace leading to Palestinian and Israeli states living side by side in peace.
The Egyptians have offered to host talks between Israelis and Palestinian factions to find ways to accommodate concerns of both sides as also between various Palestinian factions to bring about unity.
The UN relief agencies had on Thursday suspended movement of staff in Gaza after two of their workers were killed in Israeli attacks even though the world body says it had already made arrangements with the Israelis to allow them in the area.
Addressing the Council after the vote, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he was "heartened and relieved... Your decision signals the will of the international community. It must be fully respected by all parties to this conflict."
The resolution has called on member states "to intensify efforts to provide arrangements and guarantees in Gaza in order to sustain a durable ceasefire and calm, including to prevent illicit trafficking in arms and ammunition and to ensure the sustained re-opening of crossing points."
Israel has accused Hamas of smuggling more advanced rockets and weapons and has closed crossings into Gaza in response to Hamas rocket fire.
Tel Aviv alleges that Hamas is smuggling arms into Gaza through a network of underground tunnels which run to the Egyptian border, a charge that Cairo denies.
The UN officials have also expressed concern at Israeli statement that any structure in which the tunnel ends is legitimate target.
That was interpreted by some analysts to mean that Israel would consider hospitals and schools as "legitimate targets" if it has the information that tunnel ends in anyone of them.
Adoption of the resolution came as diplomatic efforts to secure an end to the fighting moved into higher gear with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon calling Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal while also trying to reach Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
"The Secretary-General continues his around-the-clock efforts with world leaders to achieve an immediate ceasefire," spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters.
General Assembly President Miguel D'Escoto had earlier chided the Council for its lack of action.
"Rigor mortis seems to have taken over, and we are failing the world, we are failing the cause of peace," he said.
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My dear brothers and Sisters.S.Hamaz may/may not be terrorist group.Same as lik Srilankan Tamil LTTE.According to Indians we ppl not aware wat is the problem between PALESTINE AND ISRAEL.Shall i tel in simple way?Long back jews(isreal's) are killed and treated worst.they surived like orphans.At that time palestin given some space and shelters to live.After some years israels occupied 75% of palestine and not allowin the palestin to liv..WILL YOU ACCEPT THIS STUPID RULE IN YOUR OWN HOUSE??Right now if Subhash Chandra Bosh was here to get freedom from british,thn these media/world will say he is a terrorist.If u dont accept tis, leave it.Atleast After seen Iraq,Afghanistan and Srilanka also y our heart not hate war?
The Hamas leadership should not be hiding behind civilian and children. This is a war as Hamas had siad and in a war Israel has the right to defend itself. I think Israel is doing the right thing. I have no sympathy whatsoever for Hamas.
The temporary cease fire as called for by UNSC is not a permanent solution to the problem of Palestinian conflict with Israel. While all European countries and US, in particular, talks about the Israeli right of defence, they fail to recognise the right of self determination of Hamas, which is a democratically elected political outfit of Palestine. Unless they are politically accepted and its demands met, the expectation of peace in middle east is dream, which is impractical to come true.
Number 9 stands in symbolism to the planet Mars. Mars is the planet of war.Is 2009 the year of war? The second world war began in 1939.The French revolution started in 1789.TheChinese revolution started in 1949. The kargil war was in 1999
Israelis killed 758 Gazans of whom 257 are children and 56 women, and wounded 3,100 including 1,080 children and 452 women confirmed by the UN as "credible." The so called Israel supportive Indians should answer that were these children and women and civilians terrorists? Further Hamas is a group of freedom fighters like the Indian freedom fighters and no power in the world has a right to declare Hamas a terrorists group as they have been the victim of Genocide and holocaust. Israel
the Hamas is responsible for the scores of dead palestinians...its amazing how they expect to be allowed to shoot rockets with impunity and cry foul, the second Israel retaliates...the israelies had given sufficent warnings before launching the attack....its a pity that poor, ignorant and brain-washed women and children are paying for Hamas's actions..
Gazans shud blame Hamas for strating this without any concern for their life. Did they think that by firing a few rockets they are going to get ISrael to leave? Having lost in the arab Isralei war the loser will not get what he wants, rathey they shud think of the future of their children
If people from Gaza allow rockets to be fired into Israel, then they should be ready to accept bombs dropped from Israel. It is indeed sad that women and children and other civilians are killed, but the killers are not the Israelis, it is the Hamas. All that these self-appointed "freedom fighters" do is armed conflict - I have never heard the Hamas doing anything to get freedom for Gaza from ignorance, hunger, and poverty. Tell me, what constructive work have these terrorists done?
You are so naiva... you just don't understand the nature of this conflict! Why can't people understand that palestine is fighting for their homeland!! It's a do or die for them! Isreal provoke them to do something by creating the inhuman living conditions in Gaza. Do you have any clue, how many palentinians die or were arrested during that so called "cease fire" before the war>?
Yuor message shows your ignorance about the presence, influence and the network of services provided by Hamas. I also read it through internet on several occasions. And I think that is the root cause of their democratic electoral win in Palestine, which is not recognized by US and Europeans. Why do they not recognize a democratically elected governance, when they talk about democracy in Iraq
If Hamas were men enough, then they woudlnt have fired rockets hiding behind women and children. They were exploiting the moral values of the Israelis. They were left with no option ,but attack the Hamas hiding like eunuchs behind civilians. The Gazans should have had the common sense to tell the Hamas not to launch attack on Israel while being admist them. There is no point crying now....its a lesson for all the brainless terrorist sympathisers.
you rightly said that Hamas is a freedom fighter organisation who is fighting for freedom and no one has right to declare is a terrorist group.i support your statement.
Mr.Hassan Abidi you are right to say what is happening in Gaza is too bad and such situation should never come up anywhere on this earth.This exaggerated action of Israel is not against innocent civilians or common Plastinians but Hamas which is not that what you presume.They aren't socalled Freedom-Fighters and I fail to understand which Indian freedom-fighters you are talking about.Indian freedom struggle/fight was/is most peaceful movement based on non-voilence idealogy.Hamas is not a group but a well equiped Army without any political agenda.It appears that they have even taken the whole Gaza community as hostage.Their guerilla warfare tactics should be in cities and civil populated areas where innocent casualities are more likely because they are used as shields.If Israelis are committing crime/sin so is being done by Hamas not by killing Israelis(with absolute random fire of rockets)but own people as well.If you mean freedom foghters operating in Indian Kashmir well you are mis-informed because these are real terrorists coming from other side and some who are misguided and allured by fanatic Islamic idealogy.Any way who so ever or which so ever person or a group is engaged in voilent acts,use of weapons,believes in destruction is kind of terrorism and no freedom or peace is worth of that human life.There are two great dangers on the earth the one is Fanaticism(which is seen in Islam today)and USAmerican policies to rule/dictate the whole world.