New York, March 15, SPA -- At the behest of Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, Qatari Ambassador and United Nations Security Council member, an emergency council meeting was called this evening after Israeli forces broke into a Palestinian prison in Jericho with heavy force and took 170 prisoners into their custody Tuesday morning. The Qatari mission drafted a presidential statement that was circulated among members of the council at this evening's meeting. According to the draft, the council called upon Israel to end its imposition of curfews imposed on Jericho and end its violent actions in Jericho that began after international monitors withdrew from the prison. After the meeting, current council president Cesar Mayoral, Argentine Ambassador to the U.N., read a press statement that disregarded the original Qatar text, indicating only that the council "expresses its serious concern" regarding the events that occurred in Jericho on Tuesday, and that Israel should return all Palestinian prisoners. Earlier today, U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan called on both the Palestinians and Israelis to end the violence immediately, to have "respect for human lives, and [take] urgent steps to restore calm," said Stephane Dujarric, U.N. Spokesman. When asked by SPA whether the Quartet, a group composed of the US, Russia, Britain, and the U.N. would be meeting on the violence and kidnappings that occurred today, Dujarric said Annan had been on the phone with both US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. "The Secretary-General also calls for the immediate release of those who have been kidnapped, and full respect of the safety of international personnel on the ground," said Dujarric. SPA was told later that 13 international members of U.N. organizations who work in Gaza and the West Bank were evacuated. Ibrahim Gambari, U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, briefed the council on the Jericho situation this evening, explaining that as news spread about the Israeli operation, "at least seven foreigner in the West Bank and Gaza Strip were kidnapped by militants, though several were subsequently released."--SPA 13 35 Local Time 10 35 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/345640