By Judy Aita Washington File
United Nations Correspondent

United Nations -- After a night of negotiations the Security Council March 30 adopted a resolution calling for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Palestinian cities including Ramallah.

The resolution was adopted by a vote of 14 to 0. Syria did not participate in the voting.

The council also called on Israel and the Palestinian Authority to cooperate fully with U.S. Special Envoy Anthony Zinni to implement the Tenet security plan as a first step towards implementing the Mitchell committee recommendations and then resuming negotiations on a political settlement.

The vote was taken during an emergency session in the early morning hours. The previous evening the council held a four-hour debate during which the representatives of more than 30 countries spoke. The delegates were summoned for the session on a day when the U.N. was closed in observance of Good Friday, after Israeli troops occupied Palestinian Authority headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

Expressing its "grave concern at the further deterioration of the situation, including the recent suicide bombings in Israel and the military attack against the headquarters of the President of the Palestinian Authority," the council also reiterated the demand in made in a U.S.-sponsored Security Council resolution (no. 1397) on March 12 for an "immediate cessation of all acts of violence including acts of terror, provocation, incitement and destruction."

After the March 30 vote U.S. Ambassador James Cunningham said the new resolution "does a number of things that we hope will build on Resolution 1397 and also addresses the situation as it exists now on the ground."

"One of the most important things the resolution does is reaffirm 1397 and repeat its strong admonition to the parties to put an end to the violence and acts of terror, which is an important consideration," Cunningham said.

"It also...sets out three things that need to be done. Those are consistent with our approach that we have been following now for some time under the Tenet and Mitchell plans, and we hope that process will go forward as soon as possible. Special Envoy Zinni is in the region right now, and continues his efforts to get that process under way, even as the situation on the ground is difficult," the ambassador said.

Cunningham disagreed with assessments that the resolution differed from what Secretary of State Colin Powell said on March 29.

"We do agree with Israel's right of defense, and we have an understanding, as the secretary said ... for what is motivating the Israelis," the ambassador explained. "The secretary also said that any actions need to be carried out with a careful view as to the consequences."

"This is a difficult situation. We all understand that. There is no inconsistency, however, between this resolution and what the secretary said this morning," Cunningham said.

The resolution also expressed support for the efforts of Secretary General Kofi Annan and the special envoys to the Middle East to help the parties stop the violence and resume the peace process.

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