WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The White House said on Friday it believed Israel will allow humanitarian aid trucks to enter Gaza after a lull due to resumed fighting between Israel and Hamas militants, but the number of deliveries will likely be reduced.
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby, citing reports from Israel, said Israel had agreed to resume letting truck deliveries through at the urging of the United States.
But he said truck deliveries would likely be reduced to dozens a day rather than the hundreds of trucks that were getting into Gaza daily during a week-long pause in fighting that ended on Thursday.
Kirby said Gaza needs much more aid, but that the decision to resume aid deliveries, after stringent inspections, “looks like a good sign going forward.”
U.S. officials are pushing for a resumption of a pause in fighting in order to extract more hostages held in Gaza by Hamas. Kirby said Hamas was to blame for the breakdown in the truce.
“It’s because of Hamas that this pause ended,” Kirby said. “The onus is on Hamas.”
He also corrected his previous tally of the number of American hostages released by Hamas so far from six to four.
(Reporting by Steve Holland and Susan Heavey; Writing by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Franklin Paul and Leslie Adler)
