“According to the most respected measures of these things, 100% of the population in Gaza is at severe levels of acute food insecurity. That is the first time an entire population has been so classified,” Blinken said during a press conference in the Philippines on Tuesday.
Blinken called the war a “horrific humanitarian situation for women, for children, for men”, and implored Israel to protect civilians.
“It is absolutely incumbent on Israel, as it acts to defend itself from October 7 from happening again, to make it a priority to protect civilians — those who were caught in harm’s way, and to provide for those who desperately need humanitarian assistance”.
Blinken added he urged Israel to have a plan for Gaza after the war, which he said he hoped would end soon. The plan, he noted, would have to be “consistent with Israel’s needs to defend itself and make sure that October 7 never happens again”.
According to a UN-backed report, all 2.2 million people in the enclave do not have enough food to eat, with half of the population on the brink of starvation and famine projected to arrive in northern Gaza “anytime between mid-March and May 2024″.
Blinken will visit Saudi Arabia and Egypt to meet with government leaders this week and discuss efforts to reach an “immediate ceasefire agreement” between Israel and Hamas.
