State Dept Spox Urges For Rafah Border Repopen: It Is ‘Crucial And Important’

4 months ago

Durign a press briefing on Tuesday, State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel answered reporter questions on humanitarian aid in Gaza.

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Transcript

00:00 Go ahead, do it, sir.

00:02 Okay.

00:03 You said yesterday that you are aware of reports of U.S. citizens unable to leave Gaza.

00:08 Do you have an update on how many and any progress on that?

00:12 So I think specifically yesterday we were talking about the question as it relates to

00:17 a group of American citizens who were doctors and medical professionals that have been stuck

00:23 in Gaza since the closing of the Rafah border.

00:26 So we're continuing to monitor that situation.

00:29 We're aware of those reports.

00:31 As I said yesterday, this isn't a border crossing that we control, but we are continuing to

00:37 engage directly and actively with the governments of Israel, the governments of Egypt to advocate

00:44 for their safe departure from Gaza.

00:48 We believe that there is more that can be done here, and this is just another example

00:54 of why it is so crucial and important that the Rafah border crossing be open, not just

01:00 for the appropriate flow of humanitarian aid but also for the safe departure from – for

01:07 foreign nationals.

01:08 I will also just want to use this opportunity to reiterate our advice to U.S. citizens to

01:13 heed our Level 4 Travel Advisory warning as it relates to Gaza, given the fact that it

01:19 is a region in armed conflict.

01:22 The security environment within Gaza is extremely dangerous and volatile.

01:26 And then on the aid, do you have an updated number on aid trucks getting into Gaza, and

01:31 how much has Rafah being closed impacted that?

01:34 So a couple things.

01:36 First, I just want to say as it relates to Rafah, the border crossing, we are continuing

01:44 to do everything we can to ensure that the border crossing can be opened.

01:54 Specifically we're engaging with the governments of Israel, the governments of Egypt to do

01:59 so.

02:00 When it comes to humanitarian aid, we are also specifically trying to do what we can

02:09 to ensure that Kerem Shalom and other crossings are being utilized as a maximum throughput

02:17 for some of this humanitarian aid.

02:21 As it relates to aid that has been flowing this week, we've seen 50 trucks enter Gaza

02:27 on May 12th.

02:28 This is not nearly enough.

02:30 More needs to be done, and it's another example of why the Rafah border crossing needs

02:35 to be opened so we can see further sustained humanitarian aid flow into Gaza.

02:40 Okay.

02:41 And has the Israeli Government been receptive on that?

02:44 What's been their response?

02:45 So I talked a little bit about this yesterday.

02:47 In order for the Rafah border crossing to reopen, we need to see operational and some

02:55 security circumstances which would allow it to make it safe to do so, and we're continuing

03:00 to have those conversations and engagements to make it so.

03:03 But we continue to believe that it needs to be reopened as swiftly as possible.

03:08 And then has the U.S. finalized a deal with the UN to distribute the aid from the pier

03:12 in Gaza?

03:13 And where in Gaza will the UN take possession of the aid?

03:15 So as it relates to any role that the UN might play, I'd let my colleagues at the United

03:21 Nations speak to that.

03:22 And on the operational status of the JALOTS or the pier, I'll just let my Department of

03:28 Defense colleagues speak to some of the operational updates.

03:31 So you can't say if a deal's been reached?

03:32 I don't have any updates for you on that.

03:34 We're back to a shut-up.

State Dept Spox Urges For Rafah Border Repopen: It Is ‘Crucial And Important’

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