White House welcomes Israel's decision to open aid routes into Gaza
The White House welcomed Israel’s decision to open new entry points for aid to enter Gaza on Thursday, saying the move came “at the president’s request following his call with Prime Minister Netanyahu," Paralel.Az reports citing CNN.
The White House also reiterated that US policy in Gaza could change based on Israel’s “immediate” actions.
“These steps, including a commitment to open the Ashdod port for the direct delivery of assistance into Gaza, to open the Erez crossing for a new route for assistance to reach north Gaza, and to significantly increase deliveries from Jordan directly into Gaza, must now be fully and rapidly implemented,” National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement.
Watson reiterated that US policy “will be determined by our assessment of Israel’s immediate action on these and other steps, including steps to protect innocent civilians and the safety of aid workers.”
“We are prepared to work in full coordination with the Government of Israel, the Governments of Jordan and Egypt, the United Nations, and humanitarian organizations, to ensure that these important steps are implemented and result in a significant increase in humanitarian assistance reaching civilians in dire need throughout Gaza over the coming days and weeks,” she wrote.