内容摘要：Though Gandhi did not attend the opening event, several representatives from the Indian delegation of the second Round Table were present.

Though Gandhi did not attend the opening event, several representatives from the Indian delegation of the second Round Table were present.

A rare oil portrait of Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi - painted in 1931 in the UK - will be auctioned in London next month.Gandhi led a non-violent resistance movement against British rule in India and his teachings have inspired millions. Most Indians revere him as the "father of the nation".

Over the years, several paintings, drawings and sketches of him have circulated around the world.The auction house Bonhams says the painting, made by British artist Clare Leighton, is "thought to be the only oil portrait that Gandhi actually sat for".The portrait was made when Gandhi went to London in 1931 for the second Round Table conference, held to discuss constitutional reforms for India and address its demands for self-governance.

It will be auctioned in the second week of July at Bonhams."This is a painting of unique historic and cultural significance. It would be great if it could be seen and appreciated more widely, whether in India or elsewhere," Caspar Leighton, a great nephew of the artist, told the BBC.

According to Bonhams, Clare Leighton "was one of the very few artists admitted to his office and was given the opportunity to sit with on multiple occasions to sketch and paint his likeness".

The works remained in the artist's collection until her death in 1989 in the US, after which it was passed down through her family.The US has vetoed the UN Security Council's draft resolution calling for an "unconditional and permanent" ceasefire in Gaza.

The other 14 members voted in favour of the document, which also demanded the release of all hostages and the lifting of humanitarian aid restrictions.The US Ambassador to the UN, Dorothy Shea, said the resolution would "undermine diplomatic efforts" to reach a ceasefire, adding that the UN has not labelled Hamas as a terrorist organisation. Hamas is described as such by the US, UK and the EU.

"We would not support any measure that fails to condemn Hamas and does not call for Hamas to disarm and leave Gaza," she said.It comes amid growing concern over the distribution of aid in Gaza, with more than two million people at risk of starvation, according to the UN, after a total Israeli ban on shipments of food and other aid that lasted 11 weeks.