United States: A hunger crisis is predicted in some areas of the war-torn Palestinian territory, and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has encouraged Israeli officials to enhance the facilitation of humanitarian relief shipments to Gaza.
On Wednesday, Blinken visited Kerem Shalom, the Israeli border crossing into Gaza, which is located roughly 3 km (2 miles) from Rafah, the southern city also known to Palestinians as Karem Abu Salem.
The top US envoy also paid a visit to Ashdod, Israel’s biggest port, praising the “progress” that has been made in recent weeks regarding humanitarian access, while emphasizing the need for further action.
“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.
Since US President Joe Biden warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Washington’s policy could change if Israel does not take action to address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering, and the safety of aid workers, Israel has made an effort to show that it is not obstructing aid to Gaza.
Israeli settlers attacked two of Jordan’s humanitarian supply convoys while they were travelling towards Gaza, according to the country’s foreign ministry earlier on Wednesday.
The ministry stated, without providing specifics, that “two Jordanian aid convoys carrying food, flour, and other humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip were attacked by settlers.”
A Jordanian relief convoy including 31 trucks entered Gaza through the Beit Hanoon gate, also known to Israelis as the Erez border, according to a report from the Jordanian public service media station. Its first opening since the war’s beginning is this one.
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