President Joe Biden speaks in the State Dining Room of the White House, Wednesday, April 24, 2024, in Washington. AP
"We're going to immediately secure that aid and surge it... including food, medical supplies, clean water," Biden said after signing a massive military aid bill for Israel, which also included $1 billion in humanitarian aid for Gaza.
"Israel must make sure all this aid reaches the Palestinians in Gaza without delay," he said.
US-Israel relations have been strained by Israel's conduct of the war in Gaza and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plan to send troops into the southern Gazan city of Rafah, where 1.5 million people are sheltering, many in makeshift encampments.
"This bill significantly -- significantly -- increases humanitarian assistance we're sending to the innocent people of Gaza who are suffering badly," Biden said.
"They're suffering the consequences of this war, and we've been working intently for months to get as much aid to Gaza as possible."
“To reverse the looming hunger and starvation taking place in the Gaza Strip, we need uninterrupted aid supply at the same scale for the foreseeable future,” the head of UNRWA Philippe Lazzarini said.
"Famine in northern Gaza can be averted only through unimpeded access to sufficient supplies," he added.
* This story has been edited by Ahram Online.
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