Blinken set to push Tel Aviv for sustained aid into Gaza

Secretary of State Antony Blinken has initiated discussions with Israeli leaders, emphasizing the critical need to ramp up humanitarian aid to Gaza while simultaneously pushing for a cease-fire agreement with the Palestinian resistance group.

Following visits to Riyadh and Amman earlier this week, this visit marks Blinken's seventh to the region since the conflict erupted, with a focus on alleviating the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza and improvements in the humanitarian aid flow into the densely populated enclave.

"Even as we're working with relentless determination to get the ceasefire that brings the hostages home, we also have to be focused on people in Gaza for suffering in this crossfire of Hamas' making," Blinken said in remarks at the start of his meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Tel Aviv.

"Focused on getting them the assistance they need, the food, and medicine, the water or shelter is also very much on our minds," Blinken said.

Blinken's check-in with Netanyahu on aid will take place about a month after U.S. President Joe Biden issued a stark warning to Netanyahu, saying Washington’s policy could shift if Israel fails to take steps to address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering, and the safety of aid workers.

Biden has threatened to condition support for Israel's offensive in Gaza on it taking concrete steps to protect aid workers and civilians, seeking for the first time to leverage U.S. aid to influence Israeli military behavior.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Tuesday there had been incremental progress toward averting "an entirely preventable, human-made famine" in the northern Gaza Strip, but called on Israel to do more.

Blinken said the first shipments of aid directly from Jordan to northern Gaza's newly opened Erez crossing will leave on Tuesday. Goods are also arriving via the port of Ashdod, and a new maritime corridor will be ready in about a week.

Source: Newsroom