During the session, the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield said there must be "no forcible displacement, nor policy of starvation in Gaza" by Israel, warning such policies would have implications under U.S. and international law.

The deaths on Wednesday made it one of the most lethal days for the Israeli military since it invaded Lebanon last month to battle Hezbollah fighters.

An Israeli airstrike killed at least 23 people in the village of Aalmat, north of Beirut and far from the areas in southern and eastern Lebanon where the militant Hezbollah group has a major presence. Lebanon's Health Ministry said a further six people were wounded. There was no immediate Israeli comment.