Over 10,000 people have died in the beleaguered enclave, and the US is coming under fire from both domestic and international sources after vetoing a motion for a humanitarian pause in Gaza at the UN Security Council.
The US is accused of being complicit in Israel's full-scale genocide of Palestinians, which included the murder of thousands of women and children in the wake of the October 7 Hamas attack. The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, arrived in Israel on Friday with the intention of pressuring Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take a break so that aid can reach Gaza.
Netanyahu, meanwhile, is determined to destroy Hamas and has declared that a cease-fire in Gaza will not occur until the Israeli prisoners are freed. "I made it very clear that we will not be backing down and that Israel will not accept a short-term cease-fire that does not involve the release of our hostages." Nothing can stop Israel, he said.
Blinken is scheduled to meet with the Arab leaders in Amman today. The meetings will center on the fallout from the dangerous escalation that jeopardizes regional security, according to an official statement. King Abdullah of Jordan emphasized that in order for relief to reach Gaza, there must be an urgent humanitarian ceasefire.