United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced an additional $135 million in American aid to the Palestinians during a trip to the Middle East.
Blinken left the U.S. Monday for a weeklong trip to Israel and several Arab countries. This is Blinken's 11th trip to the region since the start of Israel's war in Gaza, which erupted last year after the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which seized power over Gaza in 2007, launched a deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
The secretary's trip had been expected after President Joe Biden said last week he would send Blinken to the region following the death of Hamas top leader Yahya Sinwar.
On October 16, Israeli troops killed Sinwar, believed to be the mastermind of the October 7 that killed roughly 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages. Around 100 hostages remain in captivity, about a third of whom are believed to be dead.
What's Happening in Gaza?
Israel began its military campaign in Gaza following the October 7 attack, which has killed over 42,000 Palestinians so far, according to local health officials who don't differentiate between civilians and combatants but say more than half of those dead are women and children.
The war has also leveled Gaza with mass amounts of destruction seen across the territory. Many of the Gazans that are still alive are living huddled in tent camps on the brink of famine. There have also been cases of hepatitis and skin infections among young children in Gaza due to contaminated drinking or bathing water, according to families, doctors and humanitarian groups in the territory.
Economy in Ruins
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development said in a report released on September 10 that if the war ended the next day and Gaza returned to pre-war life, it could take 350 years to rebuild its economy. Gaza's economy was already struggling before the war, but it has only gotten worse.
"Once a ceasefire is reached, a return to the pre-October 2023 status quo would not put Gaza on the path needed for recovery and sustainable development," the report said. "If the 2007–2022 growth trend returns, with an average growth rate of 0.4 percent, it will take Gaza 350 years just to restore the GDP levels of 2022."
Blinken Continues to Push a Cease-Fire Deal
Before traveling from Israel to Saudi Arabia, Blinken urged Israel to seek a deal with Gaza that would end the war and bring back the remaining hostages.
"Israel has achieved most of the strategic objectives when it comes to Gaza," Blinken told reporters Wednesday before boarding his plane. "Now is the time to turn those successes into an enduring strategic success."
"There really are two things left to do: Get the hostages home and bring the war to an end with an understanding of what will follow," he said.
For months, the U.S., Egypt and Qatar have mediated cease-fire talks in hopes of brining an end to the war and the release of the remaining hostages, but Israel and Hamas have yet to formally agree to any deal.
Officials with the U.S., Israel and Egypt confirmed that a proposal for a limited cease-fire and hostage release has been discussed in recent days.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.
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