Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday hailed "measurable progress" in the struggle to get humanitarian aid to besieged Palestinians in Gaza — but he warned that much more is needed.
He also emphasized that a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas would be the best humanitarian aid.
"We have seen measurable progress in the last few weeks, including the opening of new crossings and increased volume of aid delivery to Gaza and within Gaza, and the building of the U.S. maritime corridor, which will open in the coming weeks," Blinken said after meeting with foreign ministers in the Gulf Cooperation Council in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
"But it is not enough. We still need to get more aid in and around Gaza," he added. Blinken later emphasized his concerns in a one-on-one meeting with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan.
I spoke with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince @FaisalbinFarhan on the importance of increasing aid into Gaza, achieving an immediate ceasefire that secures the release of hostages, and building lasting peace and security in the region. pic.twitter.com/La8HlVBoXn
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) April 29, 2024
Blinken is in the Mideast for a flurry of meetings in a continuing bid to increase Gaza aid, dissuade Israel from a full-on assault on Rafah in southern Gaza, and to bolster progress on a ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages. He emphasized in comments in Riyadh that the U.S. is not supporting the expected Israeli ground offensive on Rafah, the Guardian reported.
In meetings with Israel leaders on Tuesday Blinken plans to emphasize the importance of preventing the conflict from spreading and discuss ongoing efforts to achieve lasting peace and safety in the region — including the eventual creation of an independent Palestinian state with security guarantees for Israel.
He'll also visit with leaders of Jordan on the trip.
Many relief workers have been killed in the conflict began, including seven members of the World Central Kitchen food charity. They were killed in an Israeli airstrike that the military now calls a mistake.
World Central Kitchen has resuming operations in Gaza after pausing them for a month after the deaths.
Protests on U.S. college campuses have called for a ceasefire and divestiture from Israeli-linked companies in response to the Gaza attacks.
The Israeli military invaded Gaza after Hamas gunmen stormed into Israel on Oct. 7, killing more than 1,000 people and kidnapping hundreds more. Some 34,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war.
