Skip to main content

Gaza humanitarian issues will be a top Blinken priority, White House's Sullivan says

1 min Mena Today

Humanitarian issues in Gaza will be a top priority for U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on his current trip to the region, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Sunday.

U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan © Mena Today 

U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan © Mena Today 

Humanitarian issues in Gaza will be a top priority for U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on his current trip to the region, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Sunday.

Blinken was en route to the Middle East in a trip that will include stops in Israel, Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the West Bank this week.

A top priority for Blinken on this trip will be to get humanitarian help for Gaza Palestinians who are in dire straits after months of military response from Israel to the deadly Oct. 7 attacks in Israel by Hamas.

"The needs of the Palestinian people are something that are going to be front and center," Sullivan told the CBS program "Face the Nation."

The United States believes it is vital to secure a deal to release the remaining hostages Hamas took during its attack, including American hostages, and an accompanying humanitarian pause, Sullivan said.

"This is in the national security interest of the United States. We are going to press for it relentlessly," Sullivan said. "So this is a paramount priority for us."

The ball is in the court of Hamas when it comes to such a deal, Sullivan said, noting that the Israelis have put forth a proposal.

Reporting by Doina Chiacu

Related

Qatar

Qatar and U.S. emerge as key peacemakers in Congo conflict

Congo and Rwanda vowed to come up with a draft peace deal by May 2 and refrain from providing military support to armed groups, according to an agreement signed in Washington on Friday as part of diplomatic efforts to end violence in eastern Congo.

Saudi Arabia

‘It’s going to happen’

In an interview published Friday by Time Magazine, U.S. President Donald Trump expressed unwavering confidence that Saudi Arabia will normalize relations with Israel, potentially joining the Abraham Accords.

Israel

ICC vs. Israel: A politicized assault on sovereignty and integrity

On April 24, 2025, the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) unanimously directed the Pre-Trial Chamber to reconsider Israel’s challenge to the court’s jurisdiction over alleged war crimes committed by Israeli officials in Gaza and the West Bank. 

Subscribe to our newsletter

Mena banner 4

To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.

  • Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.