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US Secretary of State Blinken highlights aid progress in Gaza, calls for ceasefire

30 Apr 2024 10:00am
A handout picture provided by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) shows US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh on April 29, 2024. - (Photo by SAUDI PRESS AGENCY / AFP)
A handout picture provided by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) shows US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh on April 29, 2024. - (Photo by SAUDI PRESS AGENCY / AFP)

ISTANBUL - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday that measurable progress in the aid situation in the Gaza Strip has been noted in recent weeks, but more is needed.

Blinken's remarks came during his participation in the World Economic Forum's Special Meeting on Global Cooperation, Growth and Energy for Development in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, according to Anadolu Agency.

He also participated in the meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council to enhance coordination in the field of regional security.

The US officials stressed that the most effective way to alleviate the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian enclave is to reach a ceasefire, where Israeli attacks have killed more than 34,000 Palestinians since Oct 7.

Blinken pledged to open more crossings to deliver additional aid to the Gaza Strip in the coming weeks.

He is in Saudi Arabia to meet regional counterparts, and will then travel to Jordan and Israel through Wednesday, according to the State Department. It’s his seventh Middle East trip since Oct. 7.

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council Jassem Al-Bedaiwi demanded "an immediate cessation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip", according to Anadolu Agency.

He called for holding an international conference to implement a two-state solution, calling it an optimal option for resolving the Palestine conflict. - BERNAMA

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Antony Blinken
US Secretary of State
World Economic Forum
Gulf Cooperation Council
Gaza
genocide
Palestine
Riyadh
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