In a press conference held Thursday, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken expressed the United States' commitment to securing the release of American hostages.

During his press conference, he called upon Hamas to cease escalation without imposing any conditions.

Blinken stated that he had personally met with the families of the hostages and those of Americans who lost their lives in incidents involving Hamas.

Furthermore, Blinken announced his upcoming meetings with prominent regional leaders, including King Abdullah II, the Palestinian President, and leaders from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt.

He pointed out that the US realizes that Hamas “does not represent the Palestinian people, nor their legitimate aspirations to live in freedom and security.”