Relief convoys head toward Rafah crossing, waiting for nod to enter Gaza
Published: 05:10 AM,Oct 17,2023 | EDITED : 09:10 AM,Oct 17,2023
A convoy of trucks carrying humanitarian aid from Egyptian NGOs for Palestinians starts to move from Al-Arish to Rafah city as they wait for an agreement on crossing to enter Gaza,
US President Joe Biden will make a high-stakes visit to Israel on Wednesday as it prepares to escalate an offensive against Hamas that has set off a humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Israel has tightened its blockade on Gaza, including by restricting the entry of fuel, and bombarding the area with air strikes that have killed thousands of Palestinians and displaced hundreds of thousands more.
Blinken also said he and Netanyahu had agreed to develop a plan to get humanitarian aid to Gaza civilians. He did not provide details.
After visiting Israel, Biden would travel to Jordan to meet King Abdullah, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, U.S. national security spokesperson John Kirby said.
Gaza authorities say more than 2,800 people have been killed in Israeli attacks since Oct. 7, around a quarter of them children, and more than 10,000 wounded are in hospitals desperately short of supplies.
Japan will provide $10 million in aid for civilians in Gaza, its foreign minister said, adding she was making final preparations for talks with her Iranian counterpart while monitoring the situation in Gaza with concern.
Hamas has about 200-250 Israeli captives in Gaza, the group's armed-wing spokesman said.
Gaza hospitals struggled to cope with air strikes and a blockade as they awaited the expected Israeli ground offensive.
Israel has tightened its blockade on Gaza, including by restricting the entry of fuel, and bombarding the area with air strikes that have killed thousands of Palestinians and displaced hundreds of thousands more.
Blinken also said he and Netanyahu had agreed to develop a plan to get humanitarian aid to Gaza civilians. He did not provide details.
After visiting Israel, Biden would travel to Jordan to meet King Abdullah, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, U.S. national security spokesperson John Kirby said.
Gaza authorities say more than 2,800 people have been killed in Israeli attacks since Oct. 7, around a quarter of them children, and more than 10,000 wounded are in hospitals desperately short of supplies.
Japan will provide $10 million in aid for civilians in Gaza, its foreign minister said, adding she was making final preparations for talks with her Iranian counterpart while monitoring the situation in Gaza with concern.
Hamas has about 200-250 Israeli captives in Gaza, the group's armed-wing spokesman said.
Gaza hospitals struggled to cope with air strikes and a blockade as they awaited the expected Israeli ground offensive.