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The United States says it is striving to end the escalating tension in the Middle East amid fears of an Iranian retaliatory strike against Israel.
This moves became necessary following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
The US said it had increased its diplomatic efforts to prevent further regional conflict.
US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the country was intensifying efforts to “turning the temperature down” in the region during a UN Security Council meeting.
She highlighted the US objective to deter and defend against potential future attacks while working to avoid a broader conflict.
US President Joe Biden suggested that reaching a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas could potentially dissuade Iran from taking retaliatory action.
He said, “That’s my expectation, but we’ll see how to reach at ceasefire between the two countries.”
He stated this while discussing the situation during a visit to New Orleans.
Negotiations for a new ceasefire deal are scheduled to take place in Doha or Cairo on Thursday.
However, Hamas has indicated it will not participate in the talks, according to reports by the New York Times and Sky News.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has postponed his planned trip to the Middle East to focus on negotiations aimed at ending the Gaza conflict.
The US has approved a $20 billion arms sale to Israel, although the shipment will take years to complete.
At the Security Council meeting, Thomas-Greenfield called for immediate action to resolve the crisis in Gaza and alleviate the situation.
Since the conflict’s escalation on October 7, 2023, approximately 39,920 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
