Hamas is making a number of demands before it will allow people to leave Gaza, the State Department said on Monday as Washington works to ensure the safe passage of Americans citizens in Gaza who want to leave and secure the release of hostages held by Hamas.
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"Hamas is making a number of demands before they'll allow people to leave Gaza ... Just as we believe they ought to release all hostages they are holding, we believe they ought to ... let leave all the American citizens and other foreign nationals who are being basically forced to remain in Gaza against their will because Hamas won't uphold its responsibility to operate its side of the Rafah crossing," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters.
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A truck carrying humanitarian aid for Gaza at the Rafah crossing
(Photo: Palestine Red Crescent Society/Handout via REUTERS)
Earlier Miller said 45 trucks carrying aid entered Gaza on Sunday, bringing the total to 150, and said that progress is being made on ensuring the delivery of essential fuel supplies to Gaza.
Miller said the U.S. has told Israel over the weekend that communications networks in Gaza needed to be restored. Telephone and internet communications were partially restored in Gaza after a more than day-long blackout that had badly impacted rescue operations as Israel pounded targets of the militant Hamas group that controls the territory.