US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres discussed the crisis in Gaza, emphasizing that "the priority at this stage is to achieve a ceasefire in the sector as soon as possible."

This came in a statement issued by the US Department of State yesterday, after Blinken hosted UN Secretary-General Guterres in Washington.

According to the statement, Blinken and Guterres stressed that "the primary priority is to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza as quickly as possible, and thus release the prisoners (Israelis in the sector) and increase humanitarian aid for Gaza."

They highlighted the need to intensify efforts to meet the basic needs of the Palestinians in Gaza urgently.

Blinken thanked the Secretary-General for his support for the ceasefire proposal announced by US President Joe Biden.

Following Biden's remarks on Friday about a three-phase Israeli proposal that includes a ceasefire in Gaza, the release of (prisoners), and the reconstruction of the sector, Qatar, Egypt, and the United States called on both Hamas and Israel the next day to reach an agreement that embodies the principles announced by Biden, according to the Turkish Anadolu Agency.

Since October 7, 2023, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza; resulting in over 119,000 Palestinian martyrs and wounded, most of whom are children and women, and around 10,000 missing, amidst massive destruction and famine that has claimed the lives of children and the elderly.

Israel continues this war despite a decision from the UN Security Council to immediately cease fighting, and orders from the International Court of Justice to end the invasion of Rafah (South), and take measures to prevent acts of "genocide," and improve the dire humanitarian situation in the sector.