Blinken Urges Aid for Gaza

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for the redoubling of efforts to bring aid into Gaza as he held talks in Jordan on coordination.

Blinken, on his latest tour of the region since the Gaza war erupted in October, observed Jordan's efforts to bring in food and supplies and praised the "extraordinary work" led by the United Nations.

Blinken met separately with King Abdullah II and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi both on aid and on diplomacy for a temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that includes the release of hostages.

Jordan's foreign ministry said Safadi had raised "the necessity of starting to implement a comprehensive plan to end the occupation and achieve just and comprehensive peace within the framework of the two-state solution".

Jordan, which has diplomatic relations with Israel and also has a large Palestinian population, is especially sensitive to tensions in the Palestinian territories.

Jordan, while working with the United States, has insisted it does not want to be caught in the middle of the conflict.

Also US Secretary of State Antony Blinken saw off a first Jordanian truck convoy of aid heading to Gaza through the Erez crossing reopened by Israel.

"Right here in Jordan, we're seeing a direct route from Jordan to northern Gaza through Erez. The first shipments are leaving today," Blinken told reporters as he saw the supplies.

"It is real and important progress, but more still needs to be done," he said.

Israel, amid rising international pressure, had recently assured it would allow more aid to pass through Erez border gateway with northern Gaza, which is devastated in the nearly seven months of war and is on the brink of famine, according to UN and other aid groups.

The crossing has not been used much since the war broke out on October 7, and Israeli officials have said that it needed to be rebuilt after it was destroyed by Hamas militants who stormed through it during their attack on southern Israel.