Blinken says US would like to see more water supply for Gaza, working to secure further aid

Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks in Tel Aviv, October 17, 2023. (AP Photo/ Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks in Tel Aviv, October 17, 2023. (AP Photo/ Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the US would like to see Israel expand water supply into Gaza.

Blinken tells NBC’s “Meet The Press” that Israel turned one of the water pipelines into Gaza back on last week but that “there are a couple of other pipelines that we’d like to see restored.”

The top US diplomat says desalination plants also need to be powered back on in order to ensure that the drinking water in Gaza is clean, and the Biden administration is concerned about the spreading of disease in the enclave caused by civilians drinking dirty water.

Blinken notes yesterday’s entry of the first 20 trucks of humanitarian aid into Gaza and says that the US has been told that “some of the convoys started to move again and are moving today as we speak.”

Despite foreign reporting to the contrary, Israel has denied that a convoy carrying fuel entered the Strip today.

The secretary of state says the US is working “every day” to get more humanitarian aid into Gaza for Palestinian civilians.

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