Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US correspondent based in New York US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield attends a Cabinet meeting with President Joe Biden in the East Room of the White House on April 1, 2021, in Washington. (AP/Evan Vucci) NEW YORK — For the third time in a week, the US is blocking a joint statement from the UN Security Council calling for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, two diplomats involved in the matter said Sunday. The statement was introduced by Norway, Tunisia and China following an emergency session earlier in the day on the fighting in Gaza and criticized both sides for the ongoing violence.