US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said that leaders in the Middle East should press Hamas to agree to the US proposal for a Gaza truce with Israel, AFP reports.

“My message to governments throughout the [Middle East] region […] if you want a ceasefire, press Hamas to say yes,” he told reporters in Cairo, his first stop on a regional tour.

“I believe strongly […] that the overwhelming majority of people, whether they’re in Israel, the West Bank, in Gaza […] actually want to believe in a future where Israelis and Palestinians would live in peace and security. “