Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday that the U.S. will provide “significant contributions” to help Gaza following the violent Israel-Gaza conflict earlier in May.
Blinken and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to members of the press in Jerusalem during the secretary of state’s trip to the city, Ramallah, Cairo, and Amman. The trip follows a bloody 11-day conflict that saw over 250 people die.
“We know that to prevent a return to violence, we have to use the space created to address a larger set of underlying issues and challenges, and that begins with tackling the grave humanitarian situation in Gaza and starting to rebuild,” Blinken said during the meeting.
“The United States will work to rally international support around that effort while also making our own significant contributions, including some that I’ll announce later today. We’ll work with our partners, closely with all to ensure that Hamas does not benefit from the reconstruction assistance,” he added.
JERUSALEM, ISRAEL – MAY 25: (ISRAEL OUT) In this handout image provided by the Israeli Government Press Office, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the first leg of his four-day trip to the Middle East, on May 25, 2021 in Jerusalem, Israel. (Haim Zach / GPO via Getty Images)
Blinken will not meet with Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, during the trip, according to The Associated Press.
Netanyahu focused in on Hamas during his remarks and promised a “very powerful” response if the truce, which began early Friday morning, was broken. The two also addressed the Iron Dome, which America has promised to replenish.
Blinken’s trip came at President Joe Biden’s request and the State Department said in a previous press release that he plans to “discuss essential follow-up efforts to consolidate the ceasefire and reduce risks of further conflict over the coming months.”
Netanyahu ended remarks by thanking Blinken and Biden for the “strong statements against anti-Semitism masquerading as anti-Zionism.” There has been a wave of anti-Semitic attacks across the U.S. in wake of the Middle East conflict. (RELATED: Joe Biden Remains Silent On Wave Of Anti-Semitic Crimes In US)