US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is back in the Middle East working to broker a deal between Israel and Hamas for a cease fire that would include the release of Israeli hostages who've been held by the militant group for months in Gaza in exchange for more aid to reach Palestinians.

But the two sides appear as far apart as ever.

Blinken met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top Israeli leaders to continue negotiations, but acknowledged, quote, a lot of work has to be done to reach a deal.

Israel has publicly rejected a proposal from Hamas that includes three phases withdrawing Israeli troops from Gaza, a larger humanitarian effort and freedom of movement for Palestinians throughout the territory.

Israeli officials confirmed the deaths of 31 hostages in Hamas captivity and pressure is mounting from American and Israeli hostage families to secure their release.

There's also more calls for a permanent cease fire.

Those are growing louder and becoming more local.

Members of the Rutgers Newark community rallied today outside Newark City Hall, calling on the council to support a ceasefire resolution and make it only the second major U.S. city to do so.

Senior correspondent Joanna Girgis was there for Israel.

A coalition of several community organizations marched eight blocks from the Rutgers Newark, Paul Robeson Center to Newark City Hall today, calling for the city council to pass a cease fire resolution for Gaza during today's meeting.

It's been 123 days of genocide, yet it is long overdue for the city of Newark and the United States to call for a permanent cease fire.

We are burning that right with the people of Gaza.

The coalition of protesters included Rutgers, Newark undergrad graduate and law school students, together with the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the National Lawyers Guild at Rutgers, Newark, the Newark Water Coalition, a group of anti-Zionist rabbis.

And Larry Hamm's People's Organization for Progress.

Hamm is running for the U.S. Senate.

The coalition says that the resolutions that say the City of North calls for an immediate, durable and sustained cease fire an end to the occupation and colonization of all Arab lands, the immediate release of all Palestinian political prisoners.

And the immediate.

Issuance of adequate food, water and medical resources to Palestine.

We have a genuine interest here in Newark for a cease fire, considering the fact that $144 million of Newark, New Jersey taxes goes towards funding military weapon weaponry in Israel.

Just in Newark alone, about 4 million of the 444 million comes from Newark taxpayer dollars.

So our taxes are contributing to an ongoing genocide in Gaza.

Is this largely symbolic?

Because clearly Newark City Council is not making international policy, right?

Yeah, 100%.

I mean, the cities all over the United States are calling for a cease fire resolution and are passing them adamantly.

We have cities like San Francisco, Minneapolis, Denver, all passing resolutions.

And although they don't have a say in international policy, the resolutions in and of themselves, the power to show the U.S. government that the people of the United States have something to say about, though, the funding that's going into this genocide.

In total, close to 50 resolutions have been passed in 19 states across the U.S. Four of them are municipal cities here in New Jersey.

Paterson, Haledon and Prospect Park passed it in December.

Jersey City attempted to pass one in December, but it failed.

And last night, Union City's council joined those that passed a resolution, a move that this coalition applauded.

They got their city, their town council, to pass a resolution last night.

The cease.

Fire, the protesters here say they'll be paying attention to who votes for a cease fire and they're going to remember those names when they turn out to the polls in November five.

But it comes November 19.

Newark City Council President LaMonica McIvor gave us a statement saying the turmoil in Israel and Gaza is wrong.

In Newark, we stand with and pray for families on every side who've lost loved ones and are being traumatized daily by the horrific things the world is watching.

We plead with all who love peace and justice to oppose attacks on innocent people as a solution to solve conflict.

But she told us there would be no cease fire resolution on today's agenda.

In Newark, I'm Joanna Gagis, NJ Spotlight News.