U.S. vows more humanitarian aid for Gaza

Transcript

00:00Seeing the dire need for humanitarian aid in Gaza, U.S. Secretary Antony Blinken vowed

00:05more relief assistance for the Palestinians an hour before Hamas issued its statement

00:10supporting a United Nations truce deal.

00:13VOA's Pentagon correspondent Carla Babb tells us more.

00:18As the U.S. delivers new aid into Gaza, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced

00:24more than $400 million in additional humanitarian relief for Palestinians.

00:29Let's work together to ensure that more aid gets into Gaza, and once it's in Gaza, reaches

00:35the people who need it the most.

00:37Hamas says it wants amendments to a U.S.-backed ceasefire plan that, among other points, exchanges

00:43Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners.

00:46We're working every minute to bring everyone home.

00:49Hours after Blinken met in Tel Aviv with family members of hostages still held by Hamas.

00:55They were elated at the rescue of four hostages just a couple of days ago, but they continue

01:04to feel deeply, powerfully, this enduring separation from their loved ones.

01:11The U.N. Human Rights Office said Tuesday both sides may have committed war crimes in

01:16connection with the raid that brought the hostages home.

01:19Gaza's health ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants, says more

01:24than 200 Palestinians were killed during the rescue.

01:27Hamas held the hostages in two apartment buildings.

01:31The operation required support from Israeli airstrikes.

01:34Retired General Frank McKenzie, the former head of U.S. Central Command and the author

01:38of the new book, The Melting Point, tells VOA Hamas' use of human shields has complicated

01:45Israeli operations.

01:47I think they've been a little less successful getting after senior Hamas leadership because

01:51they've chosen to hide even while their fighters fight, and I'm sure they're hidden deep underground

01:56protected by Israeli hostages.

01:58And of course the real hostages in Gaza, not just the Israeli hostages, but the population

02:03of Gaza itself, which Hamas has no interest in moving out of the line of fire.

02:08Is Israel's battle against Hamas winnable?

02:11It's winnable if they can fashion a way to a day after that makes sense.

02:16But you've got to ensure that Hamas is not part of that equation.

02:19I'm intensely sympathetic to the view, to the Israeli view, that you have to eliminate

02:23Hamas.

02:24At the same time, I think it's a very high bar to say that you're going to get rid of

02:27all of Hamas because it's a revolutionary movement.

02:29If you kill 99 Hamas fighters, the 100th fighter is going to raise a bloody hand and declare

02:33the revolution.

02:35He envisions an Arab-led force from neighboring nations to help keep the peace in the Strip

02:39once fighting is finished.

02:41And a true win for Israel and the Palestinians, he says, requires more global investment to

02:46allow Gaza to rebuild.

02:49Carla Babb, VOA News, Washington.