On Saturday afternoon, US President Joe Biden was briefed by phone on the latest developments in Gaza.
The White House said in a statement: “Among those participating in the briefing are Chief of Staff Jeff Zients, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, and Principal Deputy National Security Advisor John Viner.”
Relief organizations
For its part, relief organizations called for unrestricted access to Gaza after a convoy of trucks passed through the Rafah crossing.
In a joint statement, a group of United Nations relief organizations described the convoy of trucks that was allowed to pass through the Rafah crossing on Saturday as “a small start and far from being sufficient.”
The organizations said: “We call for a humanitarian ceasefire, along with immediate and unlimited access for humanitarian aid throughout Gaza to allow humanitarian actors to reach civilians in need, save lives and prevent further human suffering.”
She warned that time is running out before death rates rise dramatically due to disease outbreaks and lack of healthcare capacity.
The organizations said the supplies carried by the truck convoy on Saturday would provide a much-needed lifeline to some hundreds of thousands of civilians.
The statement was issued by the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Population Fund, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, the World Food Programme, and the World Health Organization.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society said the aid is a glimmer of hope but is still a drop in the ocean of what is needed in Gaza.
What was in today’s aid supplies?
The 20 trucks that crossed from Egypt to deliver aid to Gaza on Saturday were carrying food, water and medical supplies, but no fuel.
UNICEF said it was able to deliver water supplies sufficient for 22,000 people for one day through the crossing.
Earlier, Biden credited days of high-level diplomacy for delivering aid to Gaza
US President Joe Biden attributed the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza to “days of diplomatic engagement at the highest levels,” adding that the United States will continue to work with partners to keep the Rafah crossing in operation.
He continued: “I have made clear from the beginning of this crisis, in my public statements and private conversations, that humanitarian assistance was an urgent and urgent need that must be acted upon, and I express my deep personal appreciation for the leadership of Egypt and Jordan.”
Biden said in a statement: “We call on Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the United Nations to allow this assistance to resume.”
Earlier this week, Biden said that the Egyptian President agreed to open the Rafah crossing into Gaza for humanitarian aid after Biden spoke with President Sisi for more than an hour aboard Air Force One.
