US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke on Tuesday with the parents of Itay Chen — an Israeli-American hostage killed on October 7, Paralel.Az reports citing CNN.

“No one should have to go through what they've gone through and what the other hostage families continue to go through,” Blinken said. “It's another reason why getting the ceasefire would be so crucial to enable us to bring the hostages home.”

Blinken reiterated that there is a “very strong proposal on the table right now,” but said the ball is in Hamas’ court to accept it.

“The question – will Hamas take it? Does Hamas want to end the suffering that it’s provoked?” he asked. “The question is there but I can tell you that we're intensely engaged every single day, almost every single hour with Qatar, with Egypt, to see if we can get a ceasefire agreement that will get the hostages out, get more aid in and create a pathway perhaps for a more lasting, secure solution.”

The top US diplomat also reiterated that ensuring Israel can “effectively defend itself” is “an enduring commitment that’s not going to go away." Blinken said the US remains focused on trying “to make sure that October 7 never happens again.”

He also reiterated that Israel must take steps to protect civilians and get humanitarian aid to those who need it.