U.S. proposes U.N. resolution calling for Gaza ceasefire, release of hostages

Secretary of State Antony Blinken has confirmed that the U.S. submitted a resolution to the United Nations calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and for the release of all hostages.

Israel has invaded the coastal territory in a bid to oust Hamas from power after the group conducted a major raid on Israeli territory last October and seized more than 200 hostages. The Israeli invasion has attracted scrutiny over the reported civilian death toll and worsening humanitarian situation.

Blinken suggested that a hostage deal was "getting closer," The Hill reported. "I think the gaps are narrowing, and I think an agreement is very much possible."

"We hope very much that countries will support that," he said of the resolution, which was submitted to the United Nations Security Council.

The U.S. and Israel have publicly clashed over Jerusalem's war effort, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu openly rejecting American warnings against attacking Rafah, one of the last holdouts against the Israeli advance. The city lies on the border with Egypt and has attracted many refugees during the conflict.

The United Nations General Assembly in December approved a non-binding resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in the region. That effort followed the U.S. veto of a similar resolution in the United Nations Security Council.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.