UPDATE - US Secretary of State Blinken highlights aid progress in Gaza, calls for cease-fire

Most effective way to alleviate humanitarian situation in Gaza is to reach cease-fire, says Blinken during meeting with Gulf Cooperation Council

UPDATES WITH MORE DETAILS, EDITS THROUGHOUT

By Mohammad Sio

ISTANBUL (AA) - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday that measurable progress in the aid situation in the Gaza Strip has been noted in recent weeks, but more is needed.

Blinken's remarks came during his participation in the World Economic Forum's Special Meeting on Global Cooperation, Growth and Energy for Development in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.

He also participated in the meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council to enhance coordination in the field of regional security.

The US officials stressed that the most effective way to alleviate the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian enclave is to reach a cease-fire, where Israeli attacks since the Oct. 7 Hamas incursion have killed more than 34,000 Palestinians and left most civilians at risk of famine.

Blinken pledged to open more crossings to deliver additional aid to the Gaza Strip in the coming weeks.

He is in Saudi Arabia to meet regional counterparts, and will then travel to Jordan and Israel through Wednesday, according to the State Department. It’s his seventh Middle East trip since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7.

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council Jassem Al-Bedaiwi demanded "an immediate cessation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip."

He called for holding an international conference to implement a two-state solution, calling it an optimal option for resolving the Palestine conflict.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio in Istanbul

Kaynak:

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