Israel says it will open Gaza aid routes, including the northern Erez border crossing, after President Biden called for an “immediate ceasefire” in Gaza in a phone call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Thursday. Biden also reportedly told Netanyahu future U.S. policy will be determined based on Israel’s actions to address the spiraling humanitarian disaster. Secretary of State Antony Blinken echoed the remarks as he spoke from the NATO headquarters in Brussels.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken: “And with regard to our policy in Gaza, look, I’ll just say this: If we don’t see the changes that we need to see, there will be changes in our own policy.”
It’s the most direct public warnings issued by the U.S. against Israel but were not accompanied by any concrete action to prevent Israel from carrying out more killings. The confirmed death toll in Gaza has topped 33,000 — over 14,000 of those children. Thousands of others are unaccounted for.