US submits draft UN resolution calling for 'immediate ceasefire' in Gaza

The United States has submitted a draft resolution to the UN Security Council calling for an "immediate ceasefire coupled with the release of hostages" in Gaza, US secretary of state Antony Blinken said in an interview with Saudi broadcaster al-Hadath.

"We have introduced a resolution that is currently before the Security Council," Blinken said on Wednesday evening. He hopes that other members of the UN Security Council will support the resolution. This would send a "strong signal", he added.

Blinken is currently touring Arab countries in a bid to bring about a ceasefire. He travels to Cairo on Thursday from Saudi Arabia, where he met crown prince Mohammed bin Salman. In Cairo, he will meet Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

Over a month ago, the US used its veto for the third time to block a resolution on a ceasefire in Gaza. Washington was the only member to vote against, while London abstained.

^{US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Saudi Arabia on 20 March 2024 © PHOTO Evelyn Hockstein / POOL / AFP}

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