WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) -- U.S. officials are again calling for an end to the war in Gaza. "This should be a time to end the war," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. During his visit to NATO headquarters in Brussels, Blinken said Israel's efforts have created an opportunity to end the fighting and get aid to the Palestinians. "We need to see real and extended pauses in large areas of Gaza, pauses in any fighting, in any combat," Blinken said. Blinken says so far, Israel has enacted most of the steps the U.S requested it fulfill to provide some relief for Palestinians or risk its funding. The U.S still wants to see Israel ensure people evacuate from an area and guarantee more humanitarian goods get in. "Even with all of these steps, the situation is so difficult and so dramatic that to fully redress it, to fully answer the needs of people, the best way to do that is to end the war," Blinken said. Blinken believes the release of the hostages is a key part of ending the violence. "We have to make sure that the hostages come home, including the seven Americans," Blinken said. With President Joe Biden's term as president coming to a close, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan reaffirmed the administration's commitment to work with President-elect Donald Trump's team to secure the hostages. "We are very much willing to do so, and we've sent a signal to the incoming team that we're prepared to work with them on this issue, as with every other issue, because President Biden's cardinal direction to us is ensure a smooth and orderly transition," Sullivan said.