Washington has submitted a draft resolution to the UN Security Council calling for a ceasefire related to the release of hostages held by the Palestinian independence organization Hamas. Russia and China blocked the immediate ceasefire by vetoing the draft proposal made by the United States.

On Friday (March 22), the British media BBC reported this information.

This is the first time the United States has supported calls for an immediate ceasefire in the region, the report said. Earlier, the US has repeatedly blocked attempts at a cease-fire in Gaza.

11 countries voted in favor of the 15-member Security Council. Permanent members Russia and China and rotating member Algeria oppose it. Guyana abstained from voting.

According to Security Council policy, a resolution is scuttled if a permanent member vetoes it. In this case, due to the veto of China and Russia, the proposal of the United States was canceled.

Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vasiliy Nebanza spoke about this after the veto. He said, this proposal is a hypocrisy of the US. Whereas the US did nothing to stop Israel in the first place in Gaza. There they speak of a cease-fire at a time when “Gaza has practically been wiped off the face of the earth. We have seen here an old show of hypocrisy.”

Note that the US Secretary of State is in the Middle East to discuss post-war plans to govern and secure Gaza. Antony Blinken criticized Israel’s military operations.