U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice strongly defended Israel's military response to what she termed "vicious" Hamas attacks, at an emergency UN Security Council meeting on the new Gaza crisis late Wednesday.

Highlighting Israel's claim that at least 768 rockets have been fired from Gaza this year, Rice told the Council, according to AFP, "Israel, like any nation, has the right to defend itself against such vicious attacks.

"There is no justification for the violence that Hamas and other terrorist organizations are employing against the people of Israel. We call on those responsible to stop these cowardly acts immediately," she added.