The United States has called on Israeli officials to improve the facilitation of humanitarian aid supplies to Gaza, as the United Nations and aid agencies warn of a looming famine in parts of the war-ravaged Palestinian territory. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken travelled to Kerem Shalom, an Israeli entry point into Gaza, to highlight the progress made in recent weeks on humanitarian access but stressed that more needs to be done. He urged Israel’s government to take specific steps to facilitate aid to Gaza, where nearly half of the population is suffering from catastrophic hunger.
While Israel has sought to demonstrate that it is not blocking aid to Gaza, two of Jordan’s humanitarian aid convoys were attacked by Israeli settlers as they made their way towards the territory. The Jordanian foreign ministry confirmed the attack, which included food, flour, and other humanitarian aid, and called for an investigation.
This comes as US President Joe Biden issued a warning to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying that Washington’s policy could shift if Israel fails to take steps to address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering, and the safety of aid workers. The situation in Gaza remains critical, with a dire humanitarian crisis and the threat of famine looming. The international community continues to call for urgent action to ease the suffering of the people of Gaza.