Russia and China have vetoed a US draft resolution that tied an immediate ceasefire in Gaza to the release of hostages held by Hamas, the BBC reports.
It was the first time the US has supported calls for an immediate ceasefire in the region, having previously blocked such demands at the UN.
Netanyahu says Israel plans to launch a ground offensive in Rafah with or without US support, as he meets the US secretary of state Antony Blinken in Israel.
But Blinken, who is in the Middle East to discuss a post-war plan to govern and secure Gaza, says a ground operation in Rafah risks killing more civilians.
A UN-backed food security assessment this week said 1.1 million people in Gaza were struggling with catastrophic hunger and starvation.
Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October, killing about 1,200 people and taking 253 others hostage.
Hamas says more than 31,900 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched its retaliatory offensive to eliminate Hamas.
