The United States State Department has confirmed that the Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, will attend a meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on the situation in the Middle East later on Tuesday.
This is as the Council continues to negotiate a US-drafted resolution that calls for all measures necessary to allow full, rapid and unhindered humanitarian access into aid-starved Gaza.
Several countries and the UN Secretariat are insisting on an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and humanitarian corridors.
The US has a different view just as the death toll in Gaza exceeds 5 000 with reports from Gaza’s Health Ministry that 62% of the dead are women and children.
Blinken’s attendance at the council meeting in New York comes after President Joe Biden called for the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza to be released first before there could be any talks on a potential ceasefire.
Biden was responding to a question at the White House on whether the US would support a hostages-for-ceasefire deal.
Council members are still grappling over the language of a potential US-drafted resolution that would explore humanitarian measures without an immediate ceasefire.
It also condemns Hamas and seeks to affirm Israel’s right to self-defence among other measures.
VIDEO |US proposes a UN Security Council draft resolution condemning Hamas for the October 7 attack on Israel:
