[KARAH RUCKER]

U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE ANTONY BLINKEN IS IN ISRAEL TO CONTINUE TO URGE TOP ISRAELI OFFICIALS TO ACCEPT AND IMPLEMENT A PLAN FOR POST-WAR GAZA — MEETING WITH ISRAELI OPPOSITION LEADER YAIR LAPID IN TEL AVIV TODAY.

THIS comes AS Blinken ALSO PUSHES FOR MORE INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE ON HAMAS TO AGREE TO A CEASE-FIRE PROPOSAL JUST ENDORSED BY THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL.

ON MONDAY — 14 OF THE U.N.’S 15 SECURITY COUNCIL MEMBERS VOTED IN FAVOR OF ENDORSING THE CEASE-FIRE PLAN TO END THE ONGOING WAR BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS THAT WAS ANNOUNCED BY PRESIDENT BIDEN LAST MONTH.

THE US SAYING ISRAEL HAS ALREADY ACCEPTED THE CEASEFIRE PROPOSAL.

ONLY RUSSIA ABSTAINED FROM VOTING.

THE RESOLUTION CALLS ON HAMAS TO AGREE TO THE THREE-PHASE PLAN — WHICH WOULD SEE AN INITIAL SIX-WEEK CEASE-FIRE AND THE EXCHANGE OF SOME ISRAELI HOSTAGES BEING HELD BY HAMAS IN GAZA FOR PALESTINIAN PRISONERS IN ISRAELI JAILS.

THE SECOND PHASE WOULD INCLUDE A PERMANENT CEASEFIRE AND THE RELEASE OF THE REMAINING HOSTAGES.

THE THIRD PHASE WOULD INVOLVE A RECONSTRUCTION EFFORT FOR THE DEVASTATED GAZA STRIP.

HAMAS WAS QUICK TO WELCOME THE RESOLUTION — SAYING IN A STATEMENT IT’S READY TO COOPERATE WITH MEDIATORS AND ENTER INDIRECT NEGOTIATIONS OVER THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PRINCIPLES OF THE AGREEMENT.