The United States said Monday that it considers it urgent for more humanitarian aid to reach Gaza and for it to be better distributed among the around 1.9 million displaced people in the enclave.
The Secretary of Defense of the United States, Lloyd Austin, conveyed this Monday to the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, the need for this assistance for the displaced, who represent close to 85 percent of the population of the Gaza Strip.
Austin met in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv with Netanyahu to discuss the land, sea and air offensive against the Islamist group Hamas.
“I am here so that we can discuss the best way to support Israel on the path to sustainable security,” explained the head of the Pentagon, in a statement released by the Israeli Government.
“We will continue to provide Israel with the equipment it needs to defend its country,” including ammunition, military vehicles and air defense systems, Austin added.
Israel allows humanitarian aid to enter through Rafah, on the border between Egypt and the enclave, and, since Sunday, under pressure from the United States, it allows entry through the Kerem Shalom crossing for the first time.
The US Secretary of Defense highlighted the commitment of the United States, Israel’s main ally, in the offensive to end Hamas and free those who remain kidnapped in the Strip, among whom he recalled that there are Israeli-Americans.
Both also addressed the situation in the Red Sea due to the attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels against Israeli ships, agreeing to denounce that Iran is behind what they consider a threat to global freedom of navigation.
Austin’s visit occurs at a time when Israel and the United States do not hide their differences regarding the offensive that has been going on for more than two months, with more than 19,400 dead, more than 52,200 injured and a serious humanitarian crisis.
The United States proposed moving from a “high intensity” phase of military intervention to another of precise attacks on the leaders of Hamas, with military operations that prevent the suffering of the population of Gaza.
On Saturday, Netanyahu guaranteed that Israel will take over “security control” of Gaza when the war ends and Hamas is eliminated, requiring the Palestinian National Authority – which administers parts of the occupied West Bank – to take on that role, as suggested by the states. Joined.
Source: TSF
