US International Development Director to Visit Israel and Middle East This Week

Discussion on Humanitarian Issues in Gaza Strip Scheduled

The top U.S. official responsible for humanitarian aid plans to visit Israel, the Palestinian West Bank, and Jordan this week to discuss the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, CNN reported on the 25th (local time).

Samantha Power, Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), will meet with Israeli and Palestinian authorities as well as Jordanian government officials to discuss the need to expand access to ensure the smooth delivery of humanitarian supplies and goods to civilians in Gaza, a USAID spokesperson said.

During her visit, Administrator Power is also scheduled to meet with representatives of international humanitarian aid organizations.

The USAID spokesperson stated, "Administrator Power will emphasize the importance of protecting civilians and international relief workers under international humanitarian law," adding that her visit "reaffirms the United States' commitment to humanitarian response efforts addressing the crisis in Gaza."

Samantha Power, Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
[Photo by Reuters]

The USAID spokesperson did not disclose specific details about the meetings.

Officials from the Biden administration have been visiting the Middle East consecutively to underscore U.S. concerns over the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Administrator Power’s visit comes amid growing concerns about the humanitarian situation as Israel has announced plans to launch a ground offensive in Rafah, the southernmost part of Gaza.

Rafah, which Israel has previously designated as a "safe zone," currently hosts approximately 1.4 million refugees and residents, accounting for two-thirds of Gaza’s entire population.

Having already eliminated most of Hamas’s 24 battalions, Israel insists it must also destroy the remaining four battalions hiding in Rafah.

However, the international community fears that an Israeli attack on Rafah could result in an unprecedented scale of civilian casualties.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.