Blinken: The United States presented a draft resolution to the UN Security Council calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that the United States had submitted a draft resolution to the UN Security Council calling for an immediate ceasefire linked to the release of the hostages in the Gaza Strip.
Blinken said in an interview with Saudi affiliated channel on Wednesday evening during a visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to discuss efforts to calm the war between Israel and Hamas.
“We’ve already presented a draft resolution, which is now presented before the Security Council and calls for an immediate ceasefire linked to the release of the hostages, and we very much hope that it will receive support from countries,” Blinken said.
He expressed his belief that this project will send a strong message, with a strong indicator.
The United States, the most prominent supporter of Israel politically and militarily in this war, had previously used its veto power in the Security Council to prevent the issuance of a ceasefire resolution in the Gaza Strip.
Blinken explained, “Of course, we stand by Israel and its right to defend itself, but at the same time, it’s necessary that we focus on the civilians who are being harmed and suffering horribly, and make them a priority for us,” stressing the necessity of “protecting civilians and delivering humanitarian aid to them”.
Blinken met in Saudi Arabia with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan, and on Thursday he heads to Egypt on the second stop of his sixth tour in the region since the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas on October 7, and he will visit Israel on Friday.
On Wednesday, Hamas said that it had received a generally negative response from Israel to its proposal based, in the first stage, on a six-week truce in exchange for the release of hostages and detainees.
