US increases pressure on Israel over Gaza aid as truce talks continue
Al Jazeera
Top US diplomat says efforts to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza must be accelerated and sustained as famine looms.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has urged Israeli officials to improve the facilitation of humanitarian aid supplies to Gaza amid warnings from the United Nations and aid agencies of a looming famine in parts of the war-ravaged Palestinian territory.
Blinken on Wednesday travelled to Kerem Shalom, an Israeli entry point into Gaza about 3km (2 miles) from the southern city of Rafah that is known to Palestinians as Karem Abu Salem. The top United States diplomat also visited Israel’s main port, Ashdod, highlighting “progress” made in recent weeks on humanitarian access, but stressed once again that more needs to be done.
“The progress is real but given the need, given the immense need in Gaza, it needs to be accelerated, it needs to be sustained,” he said. Blinken asked Israel’s government to take a set of specific steps to facilitate aid to Gaza, where nearly half the population are suffering catastrophic hunger, he said.
Israel has sought to demonstrate it is not blocking aid to Gaza, especially since US President Joe Biden issued a stark warning to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin 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.
Earlier on Wednesday, Jordan’s foreign ministry said Israeli settlers attacked two of its humanitarian aid convoys as they made their way towards Gaza.
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