Russia and China veto UN resolution calling for immediate ceasefire in Gaza

Russia and China on Friday vetoed a US-led resolution calling for an “immediate and sustained" ceasefire in Gaza at the UN Security Council.

Russia's ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, denounced the text as "hypocritical" for not directly pressuring Israel to lay down its arms.

According to Moscow, Washington is partly responsible for more than 30,000 deaths in Gaza. Passing the resolution would also be a green light for a future large-scale Israeli attack on Rafah, Nebenzia said. 

The US ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, accused Russia and China of putting "politics over progress", saying the two countries "simply did not want to vote for a resolution that was penned by the United States".

In addition to Russia and China, Algeria also voted against the resolution, while Guyana abstained. The 11 other members of the UN Security Council voted in favour. 

^{The UN Security Council meeting on 22 March 2024 to discuss a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza © PHOTO ANGELA WEISS / AFP}