US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said Thursday that he will press for the arrival of more humanitarian aid trucks to the Gaza Strip, stressing that the United States is determined to prevent any escalation in the region, amid continued Qatari mediation to release prisoners in Gaza.
Blinken added that during his visit to Israel tomorrow, Friday, he will discuss taking concrete measures to protect women and children in Gaza, stressing that Palestinian civilians are still bearing the brunt of the situation, and that America is committed to doing everything possible to protect civilians, as he put it.
Blinken pointed out that his country has repeatedly made it clear that the way Israel carries out its military operation is important.
Temporary ceasefire
For its part, the American New York Times quoted White House officials as saying that Blinken will urge Israel to agree to a series of short and temporary cessation of military operations, to allow the release of prisoners and the distribution of humanitarian aid in Gaza, during his visit to the region.
White House officials confirmed to the newspaper that the request for a temporary ceasefire is different from a comprehensive ceasefire, which the administration of US President Joe Biden believes will benefit the Palestinian resistance movement (Hamas) and prevent Israel from the necessary response to the Al-Aqsa flood operation.
The newspaper added that Biden is under internal pressure to respond to the requests of humanitarian organizations calling for effective dealing with the severe humanitarian crisis facing civilians in the Gaza Strip, amid the continuing interruption of water, medicine, food and fuel.
Blinken stated in a session of the United Nations Security Council that Israel must take the necessary measures to avoid harming civilians in Gaza, and this includes allowing the entry of aid, which requires consideration of a humanitarian truce to achieve these goals.
The newspaper stated that the efforts made by the United States for a temporary ceasefire are unlikely to satisfy critics of Israel in America, especially since many Democratic lawmakers in the House of Representatives presented a resolution calling for immediate calm and a ceasefire in occupied Palestine.
It is noteworthy that Blinken will go to Israel and Jordan tomorrow, Friday, to discuss ways to increase the pace and volume of humanitarian aid entering Gaza and prevent the expansion of the conflict, after which he will begin a tour of Asian countries.
Qatar mediation
The newspaper added that negotiations, mediated by Qatar, are continuing to release more prisoners held by the Hamas movement, explaining that if these negotiations succeed, America will push Israel to agree to a ceasefire in the places from which the prisoners will be released.
Today, the American CNN network reported from informed sources that Qatar was the main mediator in the agreement for the exit of foreigners from Gaza after multilateral diplomatic efforts.
This came after Biden’s statement that 74 people of dual nationality left Gaza to Egypt through the Rafah crossing, and Egyptian security sources reported that at least 320 holders of foreign passports crossed into Egypt from Gaza in the first batch of evacuations from the besieged Strip. .
For his part, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said, “More of our citizens will cross in the coming days.”
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2023-11-02 20:06:41
