Last Updated Apr 9, 2018 4:36 PM EDT
NEW YORK -- The U.N. Security Council is holding an emergency meeting Monday afternoon to discuss the suspected chemical attack in Syria. The attack killed at least 40 people, including families found in their homes and shelters, opposition activists and local rescuers said.
The attack on the besieged town of Douma came almost exactly a year after a chemical attack in the northern Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun killed dozens of people.
The U.S. is urging the council to adopt a new resolution that would condemn the continuing use of chemical weapons in Syria "in the strongest terms" and establish a new body to determine responsibility for chemical attacks.
The draft resolution, obtained Monday by CBS News, singles out Saturday's attack on Douma in the Damascus suburbs, and expresses "outrage that individuals continue to be killed and injured by chemical weapons" in Syria and "determination that those responsible must be held accountable."
It was circulated ahead of Monday's emergency Security Council meeting.
During the meeting, U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley said it seemed pointless to once again share photos of children killed in chemical attacks because such images no longer have an impact on council members. She said those who carry out these attacks are "monsters."
"Now, here we are, confronted with the consequences of giving Russia a pass in the name of unity. Here we are in a world where chemical weapons use is becoming normalized," Haley said. "This council does nothing. What we are dealing with today is not about a spat between the U.S. and Russia."
"There can be no more rationalizations for our failure to act," she continued. "Our priority must be to help the starving, the sick and the injured who have been left behind ... The international community must not let this happen. We are beyond showing pictures of dead babies. We are beyond appeals."
President Trump blamed Syrian government forces for what he called a "mindless CHEMICAL attack" and warned that there would be "a big price to pay." He said Monday morning that he would decide on a potential military response within 24 to 48 hours.
The Russian military's Reconciliation Center in Syria said it has sent officers into Douma to negotiate with the rebels there. It says experts inspected the areas in Douma where chemical agents were allegedly used and found no trace of them. They also inspected Douma's hospital and found no patients with chemical poisoning symptoms.
The White House said Monday afternoon that the U.S. is "very confident" that the Syrian regime is behind the apparent attack.
The Russian military denounced the White Helmets, opposition-linked first responders who reported the attack and the death toll. It called them "shameless rebel accomplices," saying they made false allegations to derail a local truce.
Russia is a key ally of President Bashar Assad and has been waging an air campaign in support of his forces since 2015.