Jan. 7 (Bloomberg) -- Arab nations rejected a U.S., British and French bid in the United Nations Security Council for a statement calling for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip and said they would push for a binding resolution demanding a truce.

“We sat together with the Western troika and expressed our view that we do not support their statement,” Arab League Secretary-General Amre Moussa said after a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband and French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner. “We want a resolution that has the weight of the UN Charter that calls for a cease-fire.”

Moussa said the Arabs would call for a vote in the Security Council today or tomorrow on their resolution, which would likely prompt a U.S. veto. Britain and France also have veto power as permanent members of the council.

The U.S. has rejected the proposed Arab draft resolution because it doesn’t deal with the issue of arms smuggling into the Gaza Strip or condemn rocket fire by Hamas militants into Israel.

“We are working very hard here for effective action,” Rice told reporters at the UN. “We believe a cease-fire is necessary but it has to be a cease-fire that will not allow a return to the status quo. Of course we are very much applauding the efforts of a number of states, particularly the effort President Mubarak has taken on behalf of Egypt. We are supporting that initiative.”

‘Urgent Need’

The U.S., Britain and France circulated a draft statement to the Security Council that “stresses the urgent need for an immediate and durable cease-fire.” The text says a cease-fire “will require arrangements and guarantees, including preventing illegal trade and reopening of crossing points.”

The statement also “welcomes” the peace initiative of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and French President Nicolas Sarkozy. They have called for a temporary cease-fire to allow for delivery of aid to Gaza and Israeli-Palestinian negotiations in Cairo on a comprehensive agreement. Those talks also would attempt to resolve the dispute between the Palestinian Authority, led by the Fatah party, and Hamas, which seized control of Gaza in 2007.

Moussa said the Arabs would add a similar endorsement to their draft resolution.

Adoption of the statement would require unanimity in the Security Council, so Libya, as the Arabs’ representative on the 15-nation panel, could block action.

To contact the reporter on this story: Bill Varner at the United Nations at wvarner@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: January 7, 2009 16:42 EST