Hamas stranding 1,000 Americans and family members in Gaza: Blinken

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Secretary of State Antony Blinken has offered some of the first in-depth remarks about the fate of hundreds of Americans stranded in Gaza by the Israel-Hamas war.

During testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee in support of the White House’s request for $14bn in additional military aid to Israel, Mr Blinken said nearly 1,000 people with ties to the US, comprising American citizens and their family members, are still trapped in the bombarded Palestinian territory.

 

“We are working on every single day,” he testified on Tuesday, saying the State Department has sent 5500 communications including phone calls and WhatsApp messages to Americans stuck behind the siege line.

 

“I’m focused on this intensely,” he added. “My entire department is as well, both in the region and here, we are working with various parties to try to facilitate their departure from Gaza.”

The secretary said Hamas, the militant group and political party which rules the Gaza strip, is responsible for the delay in getting Americans out. Israeli-Americans have been able to depart on emergency flights and a charter boat.

“The impediment is simple: it’s Hamas,” Mr Blinken continued. “We have not yet found a way to get them out through whatever place by whatever means that Hamas is not blocking.”

FULL STORY

 

 

[thaibeachlovers]

Oh puleeze!

 

Can Blinken get any UN official to back his story up? I suspect not.

[Morch]

Foreign passport holders start to leave Gaza through Rafah crossing for 1st time since start of war

https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/foreign-passport-holders-start-to-leave-gaza-through-rafah-crossing-for-1st-time-since-start-of-war/

 

I don't know if this excludes US citizens, or whether there are restrictions as Blinken said. Things seem to change from day to day on this issue.

Glad for those who finally managed to get out.

 

[thaibeachlovers]

The gate was opened now to allow foreign passport holders to leave, along with some wounded. Apparently it is only a temporary opening.

 

As seen on Al Jazeera.