U.S. President Joe Biden’s security adviser, Jake Sullivan, has insisted on access to humanitarian aid throughout the Gaza Strip in talks with the Israeli leadership.
The White House said, Humanitarian workers must be able to safely deliver aid to those in need throughout the Gaza Strip. Mr Sullivan stressed in talks with Israeli Defence Minister, Yoav Galant and Chief of Staff, Herzi Halevi, that it is important that Israel and Egypt conclude their talks on the early reopening of the Rafah border crossing in the southern Gaza Strip.
He added that, In order for aid to reach the coastal territory, all available border crossings must be used.
Galant and Halevi had informed Sullivan about “new alternative approaches” to fighting Palestinian militant organisation Hamas in Rafah.
The U.S. has harshly criticised a major Israeli ground offensive in the southern Gaza Strip city, located on the border with Egypt.
Sullivan also met with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In his meetings with the ministers in the war cabinet, Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot, Sullivan reiterated that the U.S. wanted to see Hamas defeated and all Israeli hostages still in the group’s hands released.
He had made similar comments in talks with Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid.
During his visit to the region, Sullivan also met with Hussein al-Sheikh, the Secretary General of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), and newly appointed Palestinian Prime Minister, Mohammed Mustafa of the Palestinian Authority (PA).
They discussed ending the fighting through a hostage agreement.