Blinken: U.S. submitted draft resolution to UN calling for Gaza ceasefire

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Axios

9 hours ago

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday the U.S. has submitted a draft resolution to the UN Security Council that calls "for an immediate ceasefire" in Gaza that's "tied to the release" of hostages held by Hamas.

Why it matters: Both Israel and Hamas are facing pressure to reach a deal to free the hostages and start a truce in Gaza, where over 30,000 Palestinians have been killed, per Axios' Barak Ravid, who noted this week that the first detailed negotiations in months were underway.

Now Blinken has said in an interview with Al-Hadath in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, that an agreement was "getting closer" and "the gaps are narrowing," according to a transcript released by the State Department Wednesday. "I think an agreement is very much possible," he added.

The big picture: Blinken said during the interview that the Biden administration was "pressing for an immediate ceasefire" tied to freeing the hostages.

The interviewer said to Blinken that "some may wonder how are you pressuring Israel to do so while you are still continuing supporting them financially and militarily, and even in the United Nations by vetoing any resolution that commits for an immediate ceasefire."

Blinken replied that the U.S. resolution before the Security Council "does call for an immediate ceasefire tied to the release of hostages, and we hope very much that countries will support that."

Read more: https://www.axios.com/2024/03/21/us-submits-gaza-ceasefire-resolution-un-israel-hamas

[Fiendish Thingy]

1. I hope somebody informed the Arab-Americans. Nt