US pushes for ceasefire in Gaza, engages in high-level diplomacy

The United States is pushing for a ceasefire in Gaza and has requested a vote on a draft resolution in the UN Security Council, urging Hamas to accept the proposed truce. In efforts to halt the fighting, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Egypt today for talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sissi in Cairo. He is then expected to visit Israel to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Blinken will also travel to Qatar and Jordan to participate in a conference focused on humanitarian aid for Gaza. 

According to US officials, Israel is expected to accept the ceasefire proposal, which includes stopping the fighting, releasing some hostages from Gaza, freeing Palestinian prisoners held in Israel, increasing humanitarian aid to Palestinians, withdrawing Israeli troops from populated areas in Gaza, and allowing Palestinian civilians to return to their homes and settlements. The initiative now hinges on Hamas's approval, as the militant group has neither accepted nor openly rejected the plan proposed by President Joe Biden more than a week ago. The UN Security Council's draft resolution aims to increase pressure on Hamas, calling for both Hamas and Israel to fully implement the ceasefire agreement "without delay and without conditions," as stated in the text.