Key takeaways:
- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel to press for more humanitarian aid to be allowed into besieged Gaza.
- Hezbollah, an Iran-backed ally of Hamas, attacked Israeli military positions in northern Israel.
- The U.S. is providing $130 million in additional aid to the Palestinians and $15 million in aid to the Gaza Strip.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel on Friday to press for more humanitarian aid to be allowed into besieged Gaza. Israeli troops have tightened their encirclement of Gaza City, the focus of Israel’s campaign to crush the enclave’s ruling Hamas group.
Hezbollah, an Iran-backed ally of Hamas, attacked Israeli military positions in northern Israel with drones, mortar fire and suicide drones, raising fears of a regional conflict. Tensions continued to escalate ahead of a speech planned for later Friday by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Blinken said the United States wants a “durable, sustainable peace” for Israelis and Palestinians. He noted that the U.S. is providing $130 million in additional aid to the Palestinians, including $40 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, which provides aid to Palestinian refugees.
The U.S. is also providing $15 million in aid to the Gaza Strip, including $5 million for the United Nations Development Programme to help rebuild homes and infrastructure damaged in the conflict.
The conflict between Israel and Hamas has killed more than 250 people in Gaza and 12 in Israel. The U.S. is working with the international community to help broker a ceasefire and bring an end to the violence.
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