Oct. 24 (UPI) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced an additional $135 million in U.S. aid to Palestinians on Thursday.
Speaking at a press conference in Doha following a meeting with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on efforts to end the Gaza war and bring the hostages home, Blinken said the funding would help to pay for “water, sanitation, maternal health for Palestinians in Gaza as well as in the region.”
He said since Oct. 7, 2023, the U.S. has provided $1.2 billion in humanitarian assistance to the region.
Blinken said he and Al Thani discussed efforts to bring the hostages home and to get a cease-fire in the war. He said they talked about “options to capitalize on this moment” in the wake of the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and “next steps to move the process forward.”
Blinken said he anticipates that negotiators will be getting together in the coming days.
Blinken said he had a productive discussion with Qatari officials during his visit to Doha. Blinken said the U.S. is continuing to work to prevent a major escalation and the spread of war in the Middle East.
He also stressed the critical need for more Gaza humanitarian aid as he warned Iran against further attacks on Israel.
He said the United States works closely with Israel to support its defense and to make sure that Iran is deterred from further attacks and also that any response from Israel “does not lead to an endless cycle of escalation.”
Blinken warned that any further Iranian attacks on Israel “will have deeply negative consequences for Iran’s interests.”
“With regard to Iran, we are concerned about the potential for broader conflict,” Blinken said. “Particularly since Iran launched its second direct attack on Israel using ballistic missiles just 23 days ago.”
“It is imperative that we continue to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza,” Blinken said. “The extraordinary challenges, the children, the women, the men in Gaza are encountering every single day. And that’s all the more urgent with winter approaching.”
He said Qatar’s generosity over many months has been extraordinary, providing thousands of tons of food, of medical supplies, of life-saving assistance for the people of Gaza.
The United States, Blinken said, will continue to press for greater results in aid delivery into Gaza.
Blinken said the most pressing concern is not just spending the money but making sure the aid on the ground actually gets to the people in Gaza who need it.
Blinken said it is “imperative that Israel take urgent and sustained action” to make sure aid gets to the people who need it. He said the United States is tracking very specific actions every day.
He said there has been progress on aid delivery since the United States notified Israel of that aid imperative. He said that includes opening a new aid passage into Gaza and restarting a water desalination plant in Gaza. But he said it is not yet enough.
The United States, Blinken said, will continue to press for greater results in aid delivery into Gaza.
“It’s also essential, even as we’re working on that effort that we continue to develop a plan for what follows so that Israel can withdraw from Gaza,” Blinken said. “So that Hamas cannot reconstitute, and so that the Palestinian people can rebuild their lives and rebuild their futures under Palestinian leadership.
Blinken said the United States is continuing to work to prevent a major escalation and the spread of war in the Middle East.
Blinken said throughout this trip, including with Qatar’s prime minister and the emir Thursday, he discussed concrete ideas for security, for governance, for reconstruction in Gaza.
“This is a moment for every country to decide what role it should be prepared to play and what contributions it can make in moving Gaza from war to peace,” Blinken said. “I think this is a pivotal moment for that question because Israel has accomplished the strategic goals that it set out for itself, making sure that Oct. 7 and the horrors can never happen again.”
Blinken said Israel has effectively dismantled the organization of Hamas, bringing to justice its leaders, notably Sinwar.
“Now that that’s been accomplished this is a moment to work to end this war, to make sure all the hostages are home and to build a better future for people in Gaza.”
He said it’s necessary to have appropriate plans in place to achieve that.
Blinken said in Israel that progress had been made on humanitarian aid to Gaza but more needs to be done.
