Blinken Urges Israel to Do More for Gaza Aid

Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Israeli officials on Tuesday to discuss the humanitarian situation in Gaza. The United Nations reported that requests to bring aid to the area were still being denied. Blinken emphasized that the current steps taken by Israel to increase aid were not enough. In a letter sent earlier this month, Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned Israel that if they didn't step up their aid efforts, the U. S. might restrict military assistance. Israeli officials presented the actions they had taken in response to the letter, but Blinken stressed that more needed to be done. He highlighted that initial progress was visible, but it wasn't sufficient. Blinken made it clear that the U. S. was looking for concrete, sustained actions within the next 30 days. On Monday, 114 trucks carrying aid entered Gaza through Kerem Shalom and the Erez West crossing. However, it's unclear how much of this aid actually reached the people in need. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office didn't mention humanitarian assistance in their statement after the meeting.