State Department Spokesperson: We Are Looking For ‘Creative Solutions’ To Bring Aid Into Gaza

During Tuesday’s State Department press briefing, Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott answered questions about the push to get aid into Gaza.

Transcript

00:00Two, actually, one on Afghanistan and then a follow-up on Gaza.

00:03Yesterday, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem announced that the temporary protected status for Afghanistan

00:09would expire on May the 20th.

00:12She said the conditions in Afghanistan have improved enough for Afghans to return there.

00:17Does the State Department think that Afghanistan is now a safe destination for women and girls?

00:23Well, ultimately, when it comes to the temporary protected status, I refer you to DHS.

00:27It was always meant as a temporary measure or temporary benefit.

00:31This is when that temporary benefit would expire.

00:35So for further questions on that, I refer you to DHS.

00:38And then just to follow up on Gaza, you said you support efforts to get aid quickly into Gaza.

00:43Here we are more than two months later.

00:45How soon is quickly?

00:47When can we start to see food actually getting in?

00:49Well, look, I think it's important to understand, again, that we're looking for those creative solutions to get that aid in there.

00:54We're fully supportive of those measures.

00:56And it's also important to reiterate that Hamas bears sole responsibility for this conflict,

01:01as well as sole responsibility for the condition under which the people of Gaza are living.

01:05So I'm not going to put a timeline on it from here.

01:07I'm not going to speak on behalf of the Foundation.

01:09But what I will reiterate is that we are supportive of creative solutions to get aid in there,

01:13but also in a way that the aid is not falling into the hands of Hamas,

01:17that it actually reaches the people that need it.

01:19Is that being addressed?

01:37I'll look at the film on it.