State Department Spox Asked Point Blank: ‘Do You Support The Deployment Of UN Forces In Gaza?’

4 months ago

During a press briefing on Thursday, State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel answered reporter questions on the UN presence in Gaza.

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Transcript

00:00 Can you give us a more clear answer if you support the deployment of UN forces in Gaza

00:07 until the implementation of the two-state solution that the Arab summit called for today?

00:14 So we've seen the statement that's coming out of the Arab summit.

00:17 I just don't have a conclusive assessment to offer yet, Michel.

00:21 Michel, do you support such deployment?

00:25 So look, this is something that we know that Israel is focused on in working to defeat

00:36 Hamas.

00:37 Candidly, the addition of additional security forces could potentially put that mission

00:45 into compromise.

00:46 But again, I don't want to get ahead of the process here, and we're just now seeing what

00:50 the statement that's come out of this summit.

00:53 Daphne, go ahead.

00:54 Thank you.

00:56 Martin Griffiths warned today that famine was an immediate risk in Gaza with food stocks

01:00 running out, said the humanitarian operation was completely stuck, the relief operation

01:04 was unplannable, and said that the consequences of an operation in Rafa that everyone warned

01:09 about are coming true.

01:10 Do you agree with that assessment?

01:13 So we are deeply concerned about the reports indicating worsening conditions and imminent

01:17 famine in Gaza.

01:19 Israel needs to do more to urgently provide sustained and unimpeded access for humanitarian

01:26 assistance to enter both northern and southern Gaza, including facilitating efforts to get

01:32 the right type of assistance to the most vulnerable.

01:37 We have been very clear about our position on a major military operation in Rafa.

01:42 While we, of course, support Israel's rights to defend itself, we believe a major military

01:47 operation in Rafa would be a mistake.

01:49 We have not seen that happen yet, but we're very concerned about an expanded operation

01:55 in Rafa and what it could do to contributing towards the worsening humanitarian crisis.

02:01 So we are going to continue to engage with our partners in Israel on this, discuss with

02:05 them alternatives and other avenues, and we'll continue to have that conversation.

02:09 And do you have an updated number on aid trucks getting into Gaza?

02:13 So 228 trucks crossed into Gaza on May 15, including 136 trucks from Jordan and Israel

02:21 through Kerem Shalom and 92 trucks through Erez West.

02:25 Additionally, the World Food Program collected 55 -- 56 -- sorry -- 56 trucks' worth of wheat

02:31 flour at Erez West on May 15.

State Department Spox Asked Point Blank: ‘Do You Support The Deployment Of UN Forces In Gaza?’

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