US pushes for ceasefire in Gaza

Anthony Blinken is meeting Benjamin Netanyahu at a time of strained relations between Washington and Jerusalem.

Blinken is pressing the Israelis to allow aid to pour into Gaza where the United Nations says famine is looming.

He will also warn Israel not to carry out its plans for a ground invasion of Rafah, where more than a million civilians have sought shelter.

A UN spokesman has warned that a ceasefire deal is the last hope for people in the Gaza strip, where – after more than five months of conflict - there is a desperate shortage of water, food, and medicine.

Meanwhile, officials from 36 countries and organizations have met in Cyprus to discuss ways of maximizing aid to Gaza from the island by sea.

Representatives from the EU, United Nations, the G7 and non-governmental organizations attended the meeting in the port city of Larnaca.