Egypt has urged a brokered end to the fighting between Israel and militants in Gaza, and France has called for a UN security council resolution on the violence, as international pressure for a ceasefire intensifies.

The US has so far stopped shot of demanding an end to the violence, confining its public efforts to urging that attacks are scaled back. Washington has repeatedly blocked efforts before the UN security council to draft joint statements calling for the fighting to end. The latest US rejection came at a security council meeting late on Tuesday that again ended without a statement, as airstrikes and rocket fire continued into the night.

However, signs are emerging that a ceasefire may be within sight, with the Egyptian effort gaining momentum among factions in Gaza, and prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu reported by Israeli media to have told officials in the south of the country that the fighting could end “within several days”.

Jordan too has lobbied intensively for a cessation of violence and has joined a French push at the UN to present a draft resolution that safeguards urgent humanitarian relief. The US would have to use its veto power to block the resolution, something the Biden administration will be reluctant to do.