- Biden administration to request $105 billion for aid to Ukraine and Israel
- $14 billion earmarked for Israel in alignment with their requests
- Crossing unlikely to open Friday, with the first convoy expected over the weekend
The Biden administration is set to seek $105 billion in congressional funding on Friday to provide aid and resources to Ukraine and Israel, both grappling with internal conflicts.
Within this request, $14 billion is allocated to Israel, a figure that officials state aligns with requests received by President Biden during his recent visit to the region on Wednesday.
Here’s the breakdown of the $105 billion that the White House will request:
- $60 billion in funding to Ukraine, which aligns with an annual appropriation to continue US aid to Ukraine.
- $14 billion to Israel, in line with what Israelis have requested
- $10 billion in humanitarian aid to Ukraine and around the world
- $14 billion for border funding to address drug trafficking and fentanyl
- $7 billion for the Indo-Pacific and Taiwan
“The WHO director-general warns that further postponements will lead to increased hardship and loss of lives in Gaza.”
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Friday morning that “more delays will result in more suffering and more deaths” in Gaza, amid questions over when the crossing between Gaza and Egypt will open to humanitarian aid trucks.
Ghebreyesus said in a social media post that the WHO “continue[s] to ask for access to deliver lifesaving supplies.”
All of us at @WHO have been shocked, appalled and saddened by the conflict in Israel and Gaza.
We urgently need access to deliver lifesaving supplies.
We hope the Rafah crossing will open today. Our trucks are loaded and ready.
More delays will result in more suffering and… pic.twitter.com/hI2HI1FBbC
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) October 20, 2023
A CNN team situated on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing witnessed the arrival of trucks filled with much-needed supplies from various aid organizations.
They also observed Egyptian road repair vehicles actively working on both sides of the crossing.
Despite earlier hopes expressed by US President Joe Biden and others, multiple sources informed media that the crossing is unlikely to open on Friday to facilitate the essential humanitarian aid convoy’s entry into Gaza.
Now, US officials anticipate that the first convoy may pass through the border over the weekend, potentially on Saturday. Nonetheless, a US official emphasized that the situation remains dynamic as preparations continue to enable the passage of humanitarian assistance.
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