Biden: I wish I could have been there to hug Abigail/Reuters
White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan commented today (Wednesday) on Netanyahu's decision not to send a delegation to Cairo: "We think that a hostage deal can and should be achieved, and everyone, including the Israeli government, should continue to work hard to achieve such a deal."
In addition, Sullivan said that the delivery of the flour to the Gaza Strip "was not delivered in the way we expected".
He added that they "expect Israel to fulfill its obligations regarding the transfer of flour to Gaza."
"Israel must continue to work hard for a deal."
Biden and Netanyahu/Government Press Office, Haim Tzach
Yesterday it was announced that Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is delaying a shipment of flour financed by the United States, and is preventing its transfer to the Gaza Strip because it is supposed to be distributed in the Gaza Strip by UNRWA - according to two senior Israeli and American officials.
The shipments of flour to Gaza were an issue that came up at the highest levels between the United States and Israel over a month ago. The War Cabinet and the Political-Security Cabinet approved the transfer of flour from Ashdod port to Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing. President Biden and US Secretary of State Lincoln already publicly thanked the Israeli government a few weeks ago for agreeing to help transfer the flour shipments to the strip
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