Israel-Gaza war: ‘sense of urgency’ to secure immediate ceasefire, says Blinken – as it happened

• Antony Blinken has said there is a “sense of urgency” around proposals for an immediate ceasefire, confirming that Egyptian mediators had spoken to Hamas earlier today. While he refused to be drawn on details of the conversations, the US secretary of state said his country greatly appreciated the role being played by Egypt, but also said that everybody in the region needed to apply pressure to Hamas to get them to accept the deal that was on the table. Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters Blinken’s comments were “biased to Israel” and that his stance is a real obstacle to reaching an agreement

• However the prospect of a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas appears to be rapidly receding after the far-right Israeli cabinet member Bezalel Smotrich – on whom Benjamin Netanyahu is now reliant after the resignations of more moderate ministers at the weekend – said he would oppose a deal. Smotrich’s comments, during a Knesset committee meeting, came amid the fallout from the resignation of the former army chief of staff Benny Gantz from the war cabinet. Gantz quit on the same weekend that Israel rescued four Israeli hostages held in Gaza in an operation that Gaza’s health ministry said killed more than 270 Palestinians and injured hundreds more

• The US is to try to shore up support for its proposed Gaza ceasefire deal by asking the 15-strong UN security council in New York to back a resolution supporting the deal. Washington is struggling to gain the unequivocal backing of Israel or Hamas for a three-stage deal proposed by the US president, Joe Biden

• NBC News in the US is carrying claims that officials from Biden’s administration have discussed potentially negotiating a unilateral deal with Hamas to secure the release of five Americans being held hostage

• Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Monday stressed the importance of international efforts to remove obstacles to delivery of aid to the Gaza Strip during his meeting with Blinken

• The Palestine Red Crescent Society has criticised Israel for continuing to keep the Rafah border closed, calling it “an enforcement of collective punishment” while Gaza suffers what it describes as “acute levels of famine”

• The health ministry in Gaza has issued new casualty figures, claiming that 37,124 Palestinians have been killed during Israel’s military campaign in the territory, with 84,712 injured. It has not been possible for journalists to independently verify the casualty figures being issued during the conflict

• Pro-Palestine activists have targeted twenty branches of Barclays Bank in the UK, vandalising them in protest at the bank investing in fossil fuels and in arms trades involving Israel

• Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese has asked activists to “turn the heat down” after the US consulate in Sydney was damaged in what appeared to be an act of pro-Palestinian support

Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters on Monday that US secretary of state Antony Blinken’s Gaza ceasefire comments were “biased to Israel” and that his stance is a real obstacle to reaching an agreement.

“Blinken’s speech during his visit to Egypt is an example of bias to Israel and it offers an American cover to the holocaust conducted by the occupation in Gaza,” the news agency reports he said.

Speaking after meeting Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo, Blinken had earlier said “My message to governments throughout the region, to people throughout the region, is if you want a ceasefire, press Hamas to say yes.”

Antony Blinken has said there is a “sense of urgency” around proposals for an immediate ceasefire, confirming that Egyptian mediators had spoken to Hamas earlier today.

While he refused to be drawn on details of the conversations, the US secretary of state said his country greatly appreciated the role being played by Egypt, but also said that everybody in the region needed to apply pressure to Hamas to get them to accept the deal that was on the table.

He said “None of us can put ourselves in the minds of Hamas” and he said he did not know what their answer to the proposals would be.

Blinken said in the absence of a “day after” plan for Gaza there were only three options for Gaza, which would either leave Israel in occupation, Hamas returning to government, or a total power vacuum. He said none of those options were viable.

Blinken said “It is imperative that there be a plan. And that has to involve security. It has to involve governance. It has to involve reconstruction.”

Asked about his intention to meet with Benny Gantz, who quit Benjamin Netanyahu’s government at the weekend, Blinken said “I think on virtually every trip to the region I’ve met with leaders in Israel whether part of the government or not”.

He said it wasn’t for the US to decide who was in the Israeli government, but added he would continue to meet people who lead major political parties in Israel.

US to ask UN security council to back Joe Biden’s Gaza peace deal

Patrick Wintour

Patrick Wintour is diplomatic editor for the Guardian

The US is to try to shore up support for its proposed Gaza ceasefire deal by asking the 15-strong UN security council in New York to back a resolution supporting the deal.

Washington is struggling to gain the unequivocal backing of Israel or Hamas for a three-stage deal proposed by the US president, Joe Biden, that would lead to the release of all the remaining hostages in return for Israel accepting steps towards a permanent ceasefire and the eventual withdrawal of its forces from Gaza – two key Hamas demands.

After months of failed peace efforts, Biden went public on 31 May on a plan for an initial cessation of hostilities that would turn into a permanent ceasefire and the full withdrawal of the Israel Defense Forces from Gaza.

The draft UN resolution backing his proposal suggests the move to phase two and the permanent end of hostilities will occur “on the agreement of both parties”, but says if the negotiations to reach that stage take longer than six weeks, “the ceasefire will continue as long as the negotiations continue”.

Diplomatic sources said a security council vote was planned for Monday but had not yet been confirmed.

Read more here: US to ask UN security council to back Joe Biden’s Gaza peace deal

US secretary of state Antony Blinken has arrived in Egypt. He is expected to meet with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo before traveling to Israel where he will meet with Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant.

It is Blinken’s eighth trip to the region since 7 October, and he is expected to push for the ceasefire deal which US president Joe Biden has been backing.

The visit comes amid discouraging signs, and after a weekend in which over 200 Palestinians were killed as Israel staged a rescue of four of the hostages held in Gaza by Hamas.

Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement “We are committed to total victory” and that he is not prepared “to stop the war without achieving our goals of eliminating Hamas.”

A senior Hamas official, meanwhile, has said the onus is on the US “to put pressure on the occupation to stop the war on Gaza.”