Secretary of State Blinken says hostage deal ‘getting closer,’ as US submits draft of UN Security Council resolution pushing immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
By David Rosenberg, World Israel News
The United States has submitted a draft resolution to the United Nations Security Council calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday.
The Secretary of State arrived in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, kicking off his sixth Middle East trip since October 7th.
Blinken met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan for talks on the ongoing war between Israel and the Hamas terror organization.
During his visit to the Islamic kingdom, Blinken told Saudi television that Israel and Hamas are “getting closer” to a hostage deal which would include a temporary ceasefire.
In an interview with Al Hadath‘s Christiane Baissary, Blinken revealed that the Biden administration has recently submitted a resolution to the UN Security Council demanding an immediate ceasefire and release of Israeli hostages held captive in the Gaza Strip.
“We’re pressing for an immediate ceasefire tied to the release of hostages,” said Blinken.
“That would bring immediate relief to so many people who are suffering in Gaza – the children, the women, the men. It would allow a much greater expansion of humanitarian assistance getting to them, and it could create the conditions to have a lasting, enduring ceasefire, which is also what we want to see.”
“In fact, we actually have a resolution that we put forward right now that’s before the United Nations Security Council that does call for an immediate ceasefire tied to the release of hostages, and we hope very much that countries will support that.”
Blinken added that the U.S. hopes to use the resolution as a “signal” of its support for a hostage deal and ceasefire, and to encourage a push to finalize such an agreement.
“I think that would send a strong message, a strong signal. But, of course, we stand with Israel and its right to defend itself, to make sure that October 7th never happens again, but at the same time, it’s imperative that the civilians who are in harm’s way and who are suffering so terribly – that we focus on them, that we make them a priority, protecting the civilians, getting them humanitarian assistance.”
“And we’ve been leading the effort to do that, to get more in, to get more to the people who need it. We are pressing on that as hard as we can.”