President Joe Biden is scheduled to visit Israel in solidarity, according to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who also revealed that Tel Aviv agreed to develop a strategy for delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza’s population.
The top US diplomat stated that Biden will discuss strategies to lessen civilian casualties during hostilities, in the face of a worsening humanitarian catastrophe, while stopping Hamas from taking advantage.
After nine hours of discussions with Netanyahu that continued into early Tuesday, Blinken announced his decision regarding the aid plan.
On Wednesday, I'll travel to Israel to stand in solidarity in the face of Hamas's brutal terrorist attack.
I'll then travel to Jordan to address dire humanitarian needs, meet with leaders, and make clear that Hamas does not stand for Palestinians' right to self-determination.
— President Biden Archived (@POTUS46Archive) October 17, 2023
On his fifth day of nonstop diplomacy in the region, Blinken visited six Arab nations in four days to address the humanitarian situation in Gaza, where Israeli bombardment has claimed the lives of over 2,800 Palestinians and driven hundreds of thousands from their homes. Blinken then returned to Israel.
“Today, and at our request, the United States and Israel have agreed to develop a plan that will enable humanitarian aid from donor nations and multilateral organisations to reach civilians in Gaza,” Blinken informed reporters.
Today, at our request, the United States and Israel have agreed to develop a plan that will enable humanitarian aid from donor nations and multilateral organizations to reach civilians in Gaza, including the possibility of creating areas to help keep civilians out of harm’s way.
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) October 17, 2023
Blinken stated that the US shared Israel’s “concern” that Hamas could intercept or destroy supplies entering Gaza or prevent it from reaching those in need.
“We will be the first to denounce Hamas if it prevents humanitarian help from reaching civilians in any way, including by taking the aid itself. And we’ll do everything we can to stop it from occurring again,” Blinken said.
However, Blinken gave no specifics on the structure of the aid programme.
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