JERUSALEM: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on Monday (Jan 6) for a final push for a Gaza ceasefire before President Joe Biden leaves office, after a Hamas official told Reuters the group had cleared a list of 34 hostages as first to go free under a truce.

Washington wants to see a ceasefire deal in Gaza concluded and the hostages brought out in the next two weeks, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday. A renewed push is under way to reach a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas and return Israeli hostages before US President-elect Donald Trump takes office on January 20.

It remains unclear how close the two sides remain, with some signs of movement but little indication of a shift in some of the key demands that have so far blocked any truce for more than a year

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is once again showing optimism that a deal is on the horizon to secure the release of hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza. CBS News foreign correspondent Ramy Inocencio has more.