The hunger crisis facing the Palestinians in Gaza is unacceptable, and a plan to better distribute humanitarian assistance in the enclave will be “top on the agenda” of United States officials in their meetings with Minister Benny Gantz in Washington on Monday, officials from the Biden administration told reporters.
“I can assure you that the issue of humanitarian assistance will be top of that agenda,” US National Security Spokesman John Kirby and US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said.
“What we have made clear is that… it is not an acceptable alternative for people to starve,” Miller said.“The situation now is unacceptable, and everyone needs to do more,” he said.
Kirby stressed that the fastest way to improve the humanitarian assistance was a hostage deal, as he indicated that actions were needed from Hamas to make that happen.
“It’s all part of a package deal,” he said.
But he and Miller also pointed fingers at Israel when it came to the humanitarian crisis on the ground in Gaza, which they said has led to an inadequate amount of food for the 2.3 million Palestinians that live in the enclave.
Miller noted that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken would speak with Gantz about the humanitarian crisis on Tuesday when they meet, and Blinken raised the issue with Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer when the two spoke by phone on Monday.
On Monday, Gantz met with US Middle East envoy Brett McGurk, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Kirby: ‘Most efficient way to aid Gaza is through land’
Kirby stressed that “we believe that Israel can and should do more,” adding that there were “incidents where they [Israelis] have not been willing and able to keep the [aid] trucks going at an increased level.
“Clearly, there is a desperate need for this stuff [humanitarian assistance],” he said. Kirby pointed to the airdrops of food that the US began on Saturday, adding that more such flights were planned, as well as a maritime route.The most efficient and quickest way to get aid into Gaza, Kirby said, is through land convoys.
Kirby addressed questions as to why the Biden administration would speak to Gantz, given that it was understood that the trip he initiated was done in opposition to that of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In a show of opposition to the trip, Netanyahu’s office asked the Israeli embassy in Washington not to facilitate Gantz’s visit.
Gantz is considered to be Netanyahu’s chief political rival, and polls show that if elections were held now, he would easily win. The trip comes as Israeli politicians in the opposition have increasingly talked about the need to go to elections despite the danger of political disunity in a time of war.
Gantz, who heads the National Unity party, is a member of the small war cabinet and a former Defense Minister and IDF chief of staff, is no stranger to Washington and has already engaged with all the top Biden administration officials since the start of Israel’s military campaign to destroy Hamas in Gaza.
“We see this a natural outgrowth of these discussions,” said Kirby, adding that if “a member of the war cabinet wants to come to the US and talk to us about the progress of that war, giving us an opportunity to talk about the importance of getting humanitarian assistance.. we’re not going to turn away that sort of opportunity.”
Miller said that the Biden administration found Gantz “an important figure” to engage with.
Before she meets with Gantz, Harris told reporters, “We’re going to discuss a number of things… which includes getting a hostage deal done, getting aid in, and – and then getting that six-week ceasefire.
“You know, the president and I have been very clear that Israel has a right to defend itself, that we have got to make sure that innocent civilians aren’t being killed, and that we’ve got to get these hostages out. And that is one of the highest priorities right – that, right now, we have.”
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