Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia asserted on Tuesday that the US holds complete accountability for the high number of deaths in Gaza, attributing them to its repeated vetoes in UN Security Council (UNSC) sessions.

During a meeting of the UNSC, Nebenzia said that “Washington bears full responsibility for the unprecedented number of civilian victims of this escalation. Their number is now near 30,000. And that is the cost of the American veto in the Security Council on Gaza."

He further urged UN Council members to refrain from endorsing the newly proposed US resolution on Gaza, denouncing it as yet "another license to kill" for "Israel".

'US UNSC Draft on Gaza is Yet ‘Another License to Kill’ For Israel': Nebenzia

Nebenzia emphasized that UNSC members should reject the latest US-drafted resolution on Gaza. He argued that it lacks a call for a ceasefire and effectively serves as another authorization for "Israel" to engage in lethal actions.

“The alternative American draft resolution in the Security Council on Gaza does not contain an appeal for a ceasefire and is aimed at broadening the UN umbrella to the acts of Israel,” Nebenzia said during the meeting.

“This is not an alternative. This is yet another license to kill, which the United States wants to give to Israel but this time to have a Security Council signature on it. I call on members of the council not to support this destructive initiative.”

On the other hand, Algeria's UN Ambassador Amar Bendjama told the Security Council that the Israeli campaign in Gaza "is a collective punishment for the Palestinian civilian people," adding that "Our silence grants a license to kill and to starve the Palestinian population."

US veto on Gaza ceasefire

The US has so far exercised its veto power four times to block a ceasefire in Gaza. 

The first time was on October 18, 2023, with a Brazil-drafted resolution, the second was on December 8, 2023, with a UAE-drafted resolution, and the third was on December 22, 2023, with a Russian-drafted resolution.

The most recent veto was exercised on February 20, regarding an Algerian-drafted resolution, sparking significant controversy.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov labeled the US veto of Algeria's UN resolution as a license for the ongoing massacre of innocent civilians in Gaza.

The Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs likewise condemned the use of the US' veto, noting that the event marks another stain on the history of the UNSC.