Middle East Live Blog: ++ US Rejects Netanyahu Criticism ++

After the UN Security Council vote, the US government rejected Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's criticism. Seven people were killed in an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon, security sources said. All developments on the live blog.

At least seven people were killed in an Israeli attack on Nabatieh in southern Lebanon, security sources told Reuters news agency.

The UN has called off talks with Islamist Hamas on the release of hostages. The US government has rejected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's statement that the latest Security Council resolution was damaging. U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told the U.N. Hamas rejected the latest proposal for hostage talks because of the resolution, saying it was “false in every way and unfair to the hostages and their families”.

UN He emphasized that Hamas had already prepared its response to the latest negotiation proposal ahead of the Security Council vote, not after the vote. Also, the Hamas response that has been circulating in public is wrong. Miller added that the U.S. government will not engage in “rhetorical diversionary maneuvers” on the issue, but will continue to work to secure the release of the hostages.

During his trip to the Middle East, Foreign Minister Birbach called for the rapid delivery of relief supplies to the Gaza Strip. Two people were reportedly killed in an Israeli attack in southern Lebanon. You can read the developments on the live blog.