The White House has announced a significant injection of humanitarian aid for Gaza and the West Bank as fighting between Israel and Hamas continues.
President Joe Biden, fresh off a wartime visit to Tel Aviv, pledged $100 million in humanitarian assistance to support millions of displaced people as clean water and food supplies dwindle.
The funds will be provided through U.S. partners that include United Nations agencies and international non-governmental organizations that the U.S. considers to be "trusted."
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White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden will address the American people about the response to "Hamas' terrorist attacks" at 8 p.m. Eastern Thursday from the Oval Office.
In a statement from the White House, the Biden administration said, "Civilians are not to blame and should not suffer for Hamas's horrific terrorism."
On Wednesday, after a call with Egypt's President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, the White House said coordination and delivery efforts for humanitarian aid were discussed. The U.S. and Egypt have agreed to work together to ensure that aid is distributed to "benefit" the civilian population," the White House said
Biden noted on his way back from Tel Aviv that his argument to world leaders about humanitarian assistance was, “If you have an opportunity to alleviate the pain, you should do it.”
“I was very blunt about the need to get humanitarian aid to Gaza," Biden said, adding that he got "no pushback" about humanitarian assistance.
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