Washington. May 20. Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi told US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken during a telephone conversation that Israel needs some time to complete the operation in Gaza, Axios reports, citing an Israeli official.
"Ashkenazi told Blinken that Israel still has several military objectives in Gaza, which need more time to achieve," the newspaper writes.
According to the source, the head of the State Department stressed that the United States expects the operation to end soon.
Blinken noted that the United States is blocking the French initiative in the UN Security Council on Gaza, but can no longer continue to support Israel in the organization, Axios said.
The phone conversation between Ashkenazi and Blinken was part of a growing diplomatic push to achieve a cease-fire in Gaza, which Israel has so far refused.
Earlier, US President Joe Biden held a telephone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin discussed the situation with his Israeli counterpart Benny Gantz.
Meanwhile, France circulated its draft Security Council resolution on Wednesday calling for a cease-fire in Gaza. The US mission to the UN said it opposed the move and would not participate in the discussion of the text.
In recent days, Egyptian intelligence officials and UN Envoy Thor Vennesland have held talks with Hamas officials and Israeli National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat regarding a possible cease-fire.
Ben-Shabbat listened to the proposals but received no permission from Netanyahu to enter the talks, Israeli officials said. They expect Israeli policy to change on Thursday and negotiations to begin.
They said reaching an agreement could take between 24 and 72 hours - the time Israel wants to use to complete its military plans in Gaza.
Meanwhile, Musa Abu Marzouk, a member of the political bureau of the ruling Hamas movement in Gaza, said on Wednesday that he expected the talks to lead to a ceasefire within a day or two.
