Categories: Global

Blinken says intense fighting in Gaza top challenge to distribute aid

Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks while meeting with African Union Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat, Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023, at the State Department in Washington. When Blinken was asked this week who would govern the Gaza Strip following Israel's war against the Hamas militant group, he said a return of the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority made "the most sense." What he failed to mention is that the Palestinian Authority, weak and deeply unpopular with its own people, has already said it has no interest in assuming power if it is helped by Israel. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) : U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday said the challenge of deconfliction across Gaza, where the Israeli military has intensified its campaign against Hamas, was the top obstacle to ensuring humanitarian aid reaches people in need.

Speaking in a hybrid town hall for State Department employees worldwide that Reuters observed, Blinken said Washington was pushing the Israelis “every day” to get more aid into the densely populated enclave and better protect civilians.

“Within the south, the single biggest problem is deconfliction: Making sure that the humanitarians know that they can go some place safely, to get the aid that’s gotten into Gaza to places in Gaza that actually need it,” Blinken said in response to a question.

“That’s an ongoing effort and an ongoing push. We’re pushing on every single one of these lines every day. And we’re also intensely pushing on the need to better protect civilians.”

Aid agencies in Gaza are struggling to move and communicate as Israel keeps up its bombardment of both Gaza City in the north and parts of Khan Younis in the south.

At the start of the war, after a Hamas assault on Israel on Oct. 7 that killed more than 1,200 people, Israel announced it was cutting off all supplies to Gaza. It later agreed to let in humanitarian aid but far less is entering now than before Oct 7.

Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has killed at least 26,900 Palestinians since Oct. 7, health authorities in the Hamas-run enclave say.

Intense fighting in the north was also an obstacle for aid distribution and for a U.N. assessment mission, a move agreed with Israel during Blinken’s visit earlier this month but not implemented.

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