By Al-Fassel and AFP | 2023-10-16

The United States is spearheading a campaign to help ease the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken returned to Israel Monday (October 16) after talks with Arab allies, hoping to coordinate efforts against Hamas while finding ways to alleviate Gaza's looming humanitarian crisis.

The United States on Sunday named a special envoy to spearhead humanitarian relief into Gaza, in coordination with the United Nations and US partners.

David Satterfield, a former ambassador whose regional experience includes assignments in Syria, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon as well as extensive work on the Arab-Israeli peace process, was expected to arrive in the region on Monday.

"Satterfield will lead US diplomacy to urgently address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, including work to facilitate the provision of life-saving assistance to the most vulnerable people and promote the safety of civilians," the US State Department said in a statement.

Just four days after he paid a lightning visit to Tel Aviv to show solidarity, Blinken was expected to meet Israeli leaders in Jerusalem as Israel prepares a major ground operation in the Gaza strip.

Ahead of his return to Israel, Blinken held talks in four of the five Arab states with diplomatic relations with Israel -- Jordan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain.

He also visited Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the latter of which is a US partner that maintains relations with Hamas.

Bid to prevent an escalation

The United States said Sunday it fears an escalation of the war between Israel and Hamas and the prospect of Iran getting directly involved.

"There's determination in every country I went to make sure that this doesn't spread," Blinken said before leaving Egypt for Israel.

"No one should do anything that could add fuel to the fire in any other place," he added.

"It's clear from my conversations with all of these other countries, that they strongly share that view and they're using their own relationships to try to make sure that this doesn't happen."

Speaking on CBS, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan cited the possibility of a new battle front on the Israel-Lebanon border.

"We can't rule out that Iran would choose to get directly engaged some way. We have to prepare for every possible contingency," he said.

Iran is a long-time backer of Hamas and of Lebanese Hizbullah, providing them funding and weapons.

"That is a risk and that's a risk that we have been mindful of since the start," Sullivan said of the prospect of Iran getting involved in the war.

Israel declared war on Hamas -- considered a terrorist group by many nations -- after the militant group’s fighters broke through the border and killed more than 1,400 people, most of them civilians.

Israel has responded with force, killing at least 2,750 people in the Gaza strip.

US officials say Blinken heard wide opposition to Hamas from leaders during his tour -- but also concern about the plight of the Palestinians.

"I made clear that it cannot be -- must not be -- business as usual with Hamas going forward," Blinken said in Cairo, while stressing that the US is "determined to do everything we can to address the needs of people in Gaza."

"Civilians should not have to suffer for Hamas's atrocities,” he said.

Supply of water returns to Gaza

Two million civilians in Gaza face a deepening crisis as they lack basic necessities and medical care.

More than one million Gazans have fled their homes to seek shelter wherever they can, including on the streets and in UN-run schools.

Hospitals in Gaza are becoming overwhelmed with increasing numbers of dead and injured, with officials saying Sunday that some 9,600 people have been wounded.

Under US pressure, Israel on Sunday resumed the supply of water to the southern Gaza strip after earlier vowing to keep out all supply of food, water and energy to the densely populated territory.

But continuing power outages threaten to cripple life-support systems, from sea water desalination plants to food refrigeration and hospital incubators.

US President Joe Biden, in an interview aired Sunday with the CBS News show "60 Minutes," cautioned of dangers in any bid by Israel to reoccupy Gaza.

"I think it would be a mistake," Biden said.

The Biden administration has said that Israel has a right to respond after Hamas’s terrorist attack, but it also has warned against more extreme measures such as mass expulsion of Palestinians.

Biden on Saturday underscored Palestinians' "right to dignity and self-determination" while also condemning Hamas in a phone call with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.

"Hamas does not stand for the Palestinian people's right to dignity and self-determination," Biden told Abbas, according to a White House statement about the conversation between the two leaders.

Biden also pledged "full support" to the Palestinian Authority.

Efforts to open Rafa crossing

Blinken said he made headway with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to open the Rafah border crossing to foreign citizens trying to leave Gaza and to enable the entry of critical humanitarian aid.

“Egypt has put in place a lot of material support for people in Gaza, and Rafah will be opened,” Blinken said.

“We’re putting in place with the United Nations, with Egypt, with Israel, with others, the mechanism by which to get the assistance in, and to get it to people who need it,” he said.

As of Monday afternoon, the crossing remained closed, according to AFP correspondents and witnesses.

Aid convoys have waited on the Egyptian side but, according to witnesses, had not left the town of al-Arish, about 40km east of Rafah on Monday.

UN relief chief Martin Griffiths said he was hoping to get aid through the Rafah crossing into Gaza to "help those million people who have moved south as well as those who live there already.”