Rubio expects Israel to step up Gaza aid

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday voiced hope that Israel will step up the amount of aid it allows into Gaza after authorizing the first trucks in more than two months.

“We anticipate that those flows will increase over the next few days and weeks. It’s important that that be achieved,” Rubio told a Senate hearing.

The United Nations received permission to send nearly 100 trucks of aid into Gaza, where experts have warned of a risk of famine as the Israeli blockade brings severe shortages of food and medicine.

Rubio, responding to a Democrat who said that the amount of aid was far too little, said: “I understand your point that it’s not in sufficient amounts, but we were pleased to see that decision was made.”

Dick Durbin, the number-two Democrat in the Senate, told Rubio he was aghast at images of children in Gaza “with pencil-thin arms, with ribs you can count.”

The children are “on the cusp of death because of the policy of Israel in dealing with Hamas,” Durbin said.

He pointed to criticism of Israel by Britain, which suspended free-trade negotiations and summoned Israel’s ambassador, as well as Canada and France.

“Mr. Secretary, are we on the wrong side of history in watching this unfold and not responding as these three countries have?” Durbin asked Rubio.

Rubio replied: “We’re not prepared to respond the way these three countries have.”

Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley asked Rubio if the United States was applying pressure, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel risked losing support of its key ally if Gaza suffers starvation.

“Is the administration conveying to the Netanyahu government that encouraging migration through food denial is an unacceptable strategy?” Merkley asked.

“We don’t view that that’s their strategy,” Rubio said, adding that the solution for Gaza was the “elimination of Hamas,” which triggered the war with its unprecedented October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

President Donald Trump last week said that “a lot of people are starving” in Gaza, although his administration has been careful not to criticize its ally directly.

The United States and Israel have backed a proposal for a foundation to distribute aid in Gaza without participation of the United Nations, which Israel has often denounced.