Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said Saturday that the United States was "responsible for the bloodshed" of children in the Gaza Strip after it vetoed a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Palestinian territory at a special meeting of the UN Security Council.

"The president has described the American position as aggressive and immoral, a flagrant violation of all humanitarian principles and values, and holds the United States responsible for the bloodshed of Palestinian children, women and elderly people in the Gaza Strip," said a statement from Abbas's office.