Blinken meets Netanyahu ahead of a UN Security Council vote on immediate ceasefire in Gaza

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the US grows more critical of Israel's military campaign, BBC reports.

Blinken has been in the Middle East to discuss a post-war plan to govern and secure Gaza, the report adds.

Secretary Blinken is in Israel ahead of a UN vote on a US draft resolution, which calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza tied to the release of hostages held by Hamas. It is the first time the US has supported calls for an immediate ceasefire in the region, having previously blocked such demands at the UN, BBC adds.

Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October, killing about 1,200 people and taking 253 others hostage. Hamas says more than 31,900 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched its retaliatory offensive to eliminate Hamas.

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