Russia and China blocked a US motion at the United Nations Security Council calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
The resolution tabled on Friday called for an "immediate and sustained ceasefire" lasting roughly six weeks that would protect civilians and allow for the delivery of humanitarian assistance.
But Russia and China vetoed the call, with Russia's ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, claiming the resolution was exceedingly politicized and contained an effective green light for Israel to mount a military operation in Rafah.
Before the vote, US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said it would be a "historic mistake" for the council not to adopt the resolution.
Speaking afterwards, she said Russia and China did not want to vote for a resolution put forward by the United States because they would rather see the US fail. "Once again Russia puts politics over progress”, she added.
France, reacting to the result of the vote, said it will work on a new resolution for a ceasefire.
"Following Russia's and China's veto a few minutes ago, we are going to resume work on the basis of the French draft resolution in the Security Council and work with our American, European and Arab partners to reach an agreement," French President Emmanuel Macron said at end of a European Union leaders' summit in Brussels.
The UK's representative to the Security Council Dame Barbara Woodward said she was "deeply disappointed”. She said the UK will continue to do "everything we can" to get aid into Gaza, but that an immediate cessation of hostilities was needed to get the required amount of aid into the enclave.It comes after the United States stepped up a concerted push to secure a ceasefire in Gaza as Britain made clear its exasperation with Israeli blockages on aid to malnourished Palestinians.
Extending his sixth visit to the region since the war against Hamas started in October, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken went to Tel Aviv for unscheduled talks with Israel’s hardline prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
The US also circulated its resolution at the UNSC , having vetoed previous attempts to force its Israeli allies to suspend the fighting.
It declared that “an immediate and sustained ceasefire” in the war is “imperative” to protect civilians and enable aid to get through to more than two million hungry Palestinians.
Parallel negotiations to broker a truce between Israel and Hamas were progressing, Mr Blinken told Saudi Arabian TV.
The top US diplomat said that Egyptian and Qatari mediators worked with Israel to put a “strong proposal” on the table. Hamas rejected it but reverted with its own demands.
“The gaps are narrowing, and I think an agreement is very much possible,” he said.
But in Cairo last night, Mr Blinken also delivered a warning for Mr Netanyahu who remains insistent that only a ground onslaught on the teeming city of Rafah can properly eradicate Hamas from Gaza.
“A major military operation in Rafah would be a mistake, something we don’t support. And, it’s also not necessary to deal with Hamas, which is necessary,” the secretary of state said.
Frustration with Israel’s government also simmered in a letter from Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron after international experts warned this week that “famine is imminent” in northern Gaza.
Writing to Commons Foreign Affairs Committee chair Alicia Kearns, Lord Cameron said that UK aid meant for Gaza has been stuck at the border for almost three weeks.
He cited “arbitrary denials” by the Israeli government as one of the “main blockers” to assistance.
Ms Kearns led a visit by the committee to Egypt’s border with Gaza two weeks ago. On BBC Radio 4 Today’s programme, she was asked whether the Israelis were deliberately altering the rules to slow the pace of aid.
“Lord Cameron and the UN and many, many international partners including the US have been making exactly that point,” she responded.
The MP said that “without question” an end to the war would be hastened if Hamas releases the remaining Israeli hostages and signs up to the peace deal under negotiation.
“However, Israel as an occupying power as a legal duty to provide aid, water, medical facilities to Gazans, to civilians who are trapped,” she stressed.
“It is absolutely wrong to suggest that Palestinian civilians living on the ground, who are currently going through a famine, do not need support. They urgently need it.”
Unicef spokesman James Elder told Today that one in three children under the age of two are suffering acute malnutrition in northern Gaza.
He concurred with reports that at least 23 children in the north have now died from malnutrition and dehydration, and said that others in one of the few functioning hospitals were reduced to “skin and bones”.
“The speed at which this catastrophic child nutrition crisis in Gaza has unfolded is absolutely shocking,” Mr Elder said, pleading for a “massive injection” of aid.
