US top diplomat Antony Blinken calls on Israel to implement “real and extended pauses” in fighting in Gaza to allow for aid deliveries, after a US-imposed deadline to improve conditions in the territory expired.
Blinken says Israel took multiple steps to address the humanitarian crisis ahead of the deadline set by outgoing President Joe Biden’s administration — but that more is needed.
“We need to see real and extended pauses in large areas of Gaza, pauses in any fighting, any combat, so that the assistance can effectively get to people who need it,” Blinken tells reporters during a visit to Brussels.
He says Israel has moved to implement 12 of the 15 steps the US urged action on, but “three big issues” still need to be addressed.
Enacting extended pauses in fighting is one. The other two are allowing commercial trucks into the Palestinian territory and rescinding evacuation orders so that people can return to an area after Israel completed operations there, he says.
“Short of ending the war, which we believe now is the time to move to that, we have to see these humanitarian steps fully implemented,” Blinken says.
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