U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz officially announced a visit to Jordan and Israel on Saturday to advance humanitarian aid, regional security, and the UN Security Council resolution and President Trump’s 20-point plan for Gaza, according to a statement by his office.
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U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz voting in favor of draft resolution to authorize the ISF in Gaza, November. Credit: Adam Gray/Getty Images via AFP
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz voting in favor of draft resolution to authorize the ISF in Gaza, November. Credit: Adam Gray/Getty Images via AFP
In Jordan, Waltz will meet King Abdullah II and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi to discuss bilateral cooperation and Jordan’s role in facilitating aid to Gaza. He will also meet with humanitarian organizations to assess ongoing relief efforts and explore collaboration on regional security and the Syrian refugee crisis.
In Israel, Waltz will meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog, tour the northern and southern borders, visit the Kerem Shalom crossing and the Coordination and Monitoring Mechanism center in Kiryat Gat, and meet UN Middle East Peace Process representatives and aid groups to review Gaza assistance.
Following an attack on September 18 by a Jordanian truck driver transporting aid to Gaza, which killed two Israeli soldiers at the Allenby crossing, Israeli authorities closed the crossing to aid deliveries. The crossing is a key route for humanitarian assistance to Gaza, and international organizations have urged Israel to reopen it. In late September – before the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas – the European Union formally requested that Israel allow aid shipments to resume, noting that approximately a quarter of UN humanitarian aid to Gaza passes through this crossing.