Axios reported, citing an American official and three Israeli officials, that US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken informed Israeli officials that agreeing to a humanitarian truce would help confront increasing pressure due to Washington’s support for the Israeli operation in the Gaza Strip.

The four officials said that Blinken also assured the Israelis that the humanitarian truce would help them buy more time for a ground offensive, according to the Arab World News Agency.

The officials added that Blinken's message to the Israelis was: "We do not want to stop you, but help us to help you buy more time."

According to the website, Israeli officials reported that officials from Israel, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Chief of Staff Herzi Halevy, informed Blinken that there would be no truce unless those detained by the Hamas movement were released.

But an Israeli official also told Axios that discussing the issue of a humanitarian truce was continuing with the United States, although he said that he did not believe anything would change in the next few days.

During his second visit to the Middle East in less than a month, Blinken seeks to balance American support for Israel after the Hamas attack on October 7 with concern about the escalating death toll in Gaza as a result of the Israeli bombing.