US Secretary of State Antony Blinken pressed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza in order to maintain international support for Israel’s military operation aimed at dismantling Hamas, Axios reports, citing two Israeli officials.
The plea was made during a meeting Blinken held with Netanyahu and members of Israel’s war cabinet today at the IDF’s Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv.
“The Biden administration understands the need to dismantle Hamas and stresses that one of the ways to make sure there is enough time to do it is by avoiding a humanitarian crisis in Gaza,” a senior Israeli official tells Axios.
Israel has largely held off on allowing humanitarian aid into Gaza as it seeks to pressure Hamas to release the roughly 200 hostages being held in the Gaza Strip.
Netanyahu is also concerned that some in his hardline coalition will oppose allowing humanitarian aid into Gaza and that it could spark public backlash in Israel, Axios reports.
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From the Liveblog of
Monday, October 16, 2023
