US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with family members of American hostages in Gaza on Tuesday, and urged Hamas to accept a ceasefire deal.
“We’re working every minute to bring everyone home,” he told families.
Biden spoke after the UN Security Council approved its first resolution endorsing a cease-fire plan which has the aim of ending the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
That resolution welcomes a proposal which the United States say Israel has already accepted.
Hamas responded in a statement to say that it welcomed the resolution and was ready to indirectly negotiate with Israel to implement it.
“For me, all of the hostages, but especially our eight American families who have loved ones in Gaza, we are determined to bring them home,” said Blinken, “The proposal that President Biden put forth is the best way to do that.”
“Everyone has said yes, except for Hamas. And if Hamas doesn’t say yes, then this is clearly on them.”
Blinken continued to urge top Israeli officials to accept and implement a plan for post-war Gaza – meeting on Tuesday with Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid and recently resigned member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s war cabinet, Benny Gantz.
The news comes as the UN cites possible war crimes committed by Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups following the Nuseirat raid that freed four Israeli hostages.
Spokesman for the human rights office Jeremy Laurence expressed concerns about potential violations of rules of proportionality, distinction and precaution by Israeli forces during the raid.
He also said Palestinian armed groups who held hostages in densely populated areas were putting the lives of civilians and hostages at added risk of hostilities.
