The US blocked a United Nations Security Council call for an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East within hours of the start of Israel’s ground offensive into the Gaza Strip.

After an inconclusive three and a half hour session of the council on Saturday night, Alejandro Wolff, deputy US envoy, said the root cause of the crisis was continued Hamas rocket attacks on Israel. The US saw no prospect of Hamas abiding by a ceasefire demand by the UN and therefore it would not do the council any good to issue statements that would not be adhered to.

Libya, the only Arab member of the council, asked for the emergency session as news came through of Israeli forces entering northern Gaza. It proposed a draft statement to be issued by the council’s president expressing concern at the escalating situation and calling on all sides to observe an immediate ceasefire.

The presidential statement, requiring consensus among all 15 members, would have fallen short of a binding UN resolution.

Although there was “strong convergence” within the council on the need to halt the violence, according to Jean-Maurcie Ripert, French ambassador and current council president, the US refused to accept even the compromise of a joint press statement.

UN officials suggested US opposition to any outcome that might have implied criticism of Israel was determined by statements from the White House that had put the onus on Hamas since the start of the crisis.

Mr Wolff echoed statements from the Bush administration, including Condoleezza Rice, secretary of state, that the situation in Gaza should not be allowed to return to the status quo ante.

The impasse at the UN throws the burden of securing a ceasefire to other international players, with the Security Council now only likely to intervene as guarantor of any agreement reached elsewhere.

Arab foreign ministers were due to begin arriving in New York on Sunday night for consultations with UN diplomats. The will be joined on Tuesday by Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority, who is on Monday due to meet Nicolas Sarkozy, French president, in Ramallah.

As the security council prepared to meet on Saturday night, Ban Ki-moon, UN secretary-general telephoned Ehud Olmert, Israeli prime minister, to voice deep concern over Israel’s ground operation.

“He is convinced and alarmed that this escalation will inevitably increase the already heavy suffering of the affected civilian populations,” according to a statement from Mr Ban’s office.

Mr Ban said the latest developments thwarted efforts to bring peace to the region by the international quartet – the US, Russia, UN and the European Union.

He previously urged world leaders to intensify efforts to achieve an immediate ceasefire that would include international monitors to enforce the truce.

John Sawers, Britain’s ambassador at the UN, saying he was “very disappointed” at the failure of Saturday night’s UN meeting, said that the idea of deploying monitors should be explored. Ways had to be found to prevent the smuggling of weapons into Gaza, which had contributed to the crisis.