Posted on Dec 8, 2023
Plight of Americans stuck in Gaza grows more dire as fighting rages
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Despite the latest heavy fighting in southern Gaza, the State Department has yet to secure safe passage for at least 350 American citizens stuck inside the besieged enclave since Israel's war with Hamas began two months ago -- just some of the tens of thousands of civilians caught in the crossfire.
Even given the severity of the situation, some family members of the Americans there say the Biden administration has not done enough -- and there's little public evidence of an intensified diplomatic push in recent weeks to expedite their departure.
"It continues to be something that we are focused on," department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Wednesday. "We continue to work with the government of Israel, with the government of Egypt to try and get more Americans out."
In addition to the hundreds of U.S. citizens, roughly 600 legal permanent residents and immediate family members of Americans eligible to depart Gaza were also still stuck, Miller said.
Even given the severity of the situation, some family members of the Americans there say the Biden administration has not done enough -- and there's little public evidence of an intensified diplomatic push in recent weeks to expedite their departure.
"It continues to be something that we are focused on," department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Wednesday. "We continue to work with the government of Israel, with the government of Egypt to try and get more Americans out."
In addition to the hundreds of U.S. citizens, roughly 600 legal permanent residents and immediate family members of Americans eligible to depart Gaza were also still stuck, Miller said.
Plight of Americans stuck in Gaza grows more dire as fighting rages
Posted from abcnews.go.com
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Palestine
Posted 6 mo ago
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."To alleviate at least some of the suffering that Americans and others unable to leave the enclave are experiencing, Miller said the U.S. has been working to ramp up the amount of humanitarian aid that can enter Gaza—including by working with Israeli authorities towards opening the Kerem Shalom crossing, just a few miles south of the Rafah gate.
"We continue to think that Kerem Shalom would be a good facility to use for increased inspections of trucks. I've said in the past that Israel has had security concerns about that. We've been trying to work through those security concerns with Israel," he said.
American officials say that while they see opening Kerem Shalom to goods as an attainable goal in the near-term, allowing individuals to cross remains a non-starter for Israel.
A high-level official at the United Nations said on Thursday there were "promising signs" the border crossing could be opened soon.
"If we get that, well it would be the first miracle we've seen for some weeks," said U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths."
..."To alleviate at least some of the suffering that Americans and others unable to leave the enclave are experiencing, Miller said the U.S. has been working to ramp up the amount of humanitarian aid that can enter Gaza—including by working with Israeli authorities towards opening the Kerem Shalom crossing, just a few miles south of the Rafah gate.
"We continue to think that Kerem Shalom would be a good facility to use for increased inspections of trucks. I've said in the past that Israel has had security concerns about that. We've been trying to work through those security concerns with Israel," he said.
American officials say that while they see opening Kerem Shalom to goods as an attainable goal in the near-term, allowing individuals to cross remains a non-starter for Israel.
A high-level official at the United Nations said on Thursday there were "promising signs" the border crossing could be opened soon.
"If we get that, well it would be the first miracle we've seen for some weeks," said U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths."
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