Washington, Oct 25
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced plans to provide $135 million in additional humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people during his tour in the Middle East.
Blinken announced in Qatar during his 11th visit to the region since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which has sparked a broader conflict in the region, Xinhua news agency reported on Thursday. The US has called on Israel to wind down the conflict following the recent killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. It urged the country to increase the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza, given the challenges of aid reaching Palestinian civilians in the northern part of the strip. On Wednesday, Blinken told the press at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv that what the Israeli military has achieved in Gaza "has come at the cost -- the great cost -- of Palestinian civilians". Blinken stressed that "Israel has to maximise everything it has under its control to get the food in". Blinken left the US on Monday for a weeklong trip to Israel and several Arab countries. The Secretary's trip had been expected after President Joe Biden said last week he would send Blinken to the region following the death of Hamas top leader Yahya Sinwar. On October 16, Israeli troops killed Sinwar, believed to be the mastermind of the October 7 that killed nearly 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages. Around 100 hostages remain in captivity, about a third of whom are believed to be dead.