Fighting in Gaza, the situation of civilians and more

The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed “ongoing efforts to minimize civilian harm” and increased delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza during a meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

Blinken met Abbas in the official West Bank on Wednesday during a week-long trip to the Middle East aimed at easing regional tensions.

The United Nations has appointed Sigrid Kag as the high-level humanitarian and reconstruction coordinator for Gaza as part of efforts to reduce civilian casualties, according to a statement from State Department spokesman Matthew Miller.

The death toll is rising: Israel’s assault on Gaza has killed at least 23,210 Palestinians and wounded another 59,167 since October 7, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry – more than 1% of the total pre-war population of 2.27 million people.

In December, US intelligence revealed that almost half of the air-to-ground warfare Israel has used in Gaza was guided, as President Joe Biden said the “indiscriminate bombing” would undermine support for Israel’s military campaign.

It has prompted warnings from world leaders for Israel to change its military strategy and limit civilian casualties.

CNN could not independently confirm figures provided by Gaza’s Ministry of Health, due to the difficulty of verifying accurate figures amid restricted access and ongoing conflict in the area.

Tax Income: Blinken also discussed issues related to Israel’s withholding of tax revenue from the Palestinian Authority since the October 7 Hamas attack.

Under existing agreements, Israel collects tax revenue on behalf of the Palestinian Authority on Palestinian imports and exports. Since October 7, the Israeli government has refused to distribute the full amount of taxes collected, which the Palestinian Authority uses mainly to pay public employees and retirees.

“All Palestinian tax revenues collected by Israel must continue to be transferred to the Palestinian Authority in accordance with previous agreements,” the statement said.
He also discussed US efforts to combat extremist violence in the West Bank.

“The United States supports concrete steps toward the creation of a Palestinian state alongside the State of Israel, in which both live together in peace and security,” the statement concluded.