The United States has dismissed international appeals for an Israel-Hamas ceasefire, with National Security spokesperson John Kirby stating that a ceasefire isn’t the “right solution at this moment.” On Monday, Kirby advocated for “pauses” to facilitate the delivery of essential supplies into Gaza, where provisions of basic necessities for its 2.2 million inhabitants have reached critical lows.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has firmly stated that there will be no ceasefire until Hamas is neutralized. He emphasized, “Calls for a ceasefire are calls for Israel to surrender to Hamas, to surrender to terrorism… this will not happen.”
During a media briefing, Kirby expressed optimism about the increase in aid vehicles entering Gaza via Egypt. The US has initiated talks with the Israeli government, aiming to boost the number of trucks crossing the border to approximately 100 per day. While around 45 trucks made their way into Gaza through Egypt’s Rafah Crossing on Sunday, Kirby acknowledged that this number falls short of what’s required. He mentioned, “We know that even that, which is a dramatic improvement over where we are right now, is still not going to be enough.”
The current conflict was triggered by Hamas attacks on 7 October, which resulted in the deaths of 1,400 individuals in Israel and the abduction of 229 people by Hamas. Since then, Israel’s counterattacks have caused over 8,300 fatalities in Gaza, as reported by the health ministry overseen by Hamas.
