US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has restated Washington’s stance, urging “humanitarian pauses” in Gaza to protect civilians and make it easier for foreign nationals to evacuate.

Following Israeli military attacks on a UN shelter and hospital in the Gaza Strip, this has happened.

Blinken made his third trip to the area since the crisis began on Saturday, attending a press conference in the capital city of Jordan, Amman. Ayman Safadi, the deputy prime minister of Jordan, and Sameh Shoukry, the foreign minister of Egypt, joined him.

Humanitarian pauses “may be a crucial mechanism for protecting civilians, getting aid in, and allowing foreign nationals to leave Gaza,” according to Blinken, even as Jordan and Egypt joined other Arab nations in calling for an urgent truce in Gaza.

At the same time, these pauses should still enable Israel to achieve its objective of defeating Hamas.

“In our opinion, a ceasefire now would leave Hamas in place to regroup and repeat attacks,” Blinken clarified.

He underlined how crucial these humanitarian pauses are as a way to meet urgent demands for aid without jeopardizing Israel’s security objectives.

During the press conference, there was also talk on how to increase and speed up the continuous delivery of supplies.

Blinken emphasized that the way Israel carries out its campaign matters, emphasizing the necessity of guaranteeing civilian safety and access for humanitarian agencies.