Israeli ambassador on U.S. calls for humanitarian aid to Gaza: ‘We don’t need urging’

The Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Herzog said Israel does not need “urging” to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Herzog said Israel is “ramping up humanitarian supplies into” the areas of Gaza that are away from Hamas’s reach, in the southern region. He told Blake Burman during an interview on “The Hill on NewsNation” that the number of humanitarian aid trucks into the area is going up more each day.

“We provide water, we provide other types of supplies, and today for the first time, we are happy to see foreigners leave Gaza,” Herzog continued. “So, we don’t need urging.”

During remarks in Minnesota on Wednesday, President Biden said that efforts to get humanitarian assistance into Gaza have fallen short but that the U.S. is “continuing working to significantly step up” that assistance.

The president has pushed for humanitarian support for Palestinian civilians in recent weeks. They face a dire living situation, with communications blackouts, limited access to necessities and a rising death toll following weeks of Israeli attacks.

The White House has said it would begin considering supporting a “humanitarian pause” for aid to get through to Gaza, but it has gone against calling for a cease-fire. 

“The number of trucks entering Gaza continues to increase significantly, but we still have a long way to go. The United States is going to continue to drive humanitarian support for innocent people in Gaza who need help,” Biden said.

 “The Hill on NewsNation” airs Monday to Friday at 5 p.m.