Biden Admin Announces $112 Million in Aid Money for Palestinians, Opening of Controversial Consulate

Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Tuesday the Biden administration will give Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank more than $100 million in new aid and will also reopen a consulate that was downgraded by former President Donald Trump.

Blinken was in Israel on Tuesday, days after a ceasefire agreement was reached between the Israeli military and the terror group Hamas.

After nearly two weeks of fighting between the Israeli Defense Forces and Hamas militants, which saw the IDF strike at rocket launch sites and other military targets in Gaza, the State Department, according to Blinken, will offer the Palestinian people $112 million in aid, Fox News reported.

“Across the meetings I’ve had so far, I’ve heard a shared recognition from all sides that steps need to be taken, work needs to be done, to address the underlying conditions that help fuel this latest conflict,” Blinken said during a media briefing.

“This new assistance comes on top of significant support the United States has recently committed and resumed to the Palestinian Authority, the Palestinians, to different agencies and groups,” Blinken added, according to Fox.

“In total, we are in the process of providing more than $360 million in urgent support for the Palestinian people,” Blinken added.

According to The New York Times, the money is for “aid and other development funds for Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.” Fox reported the Biden administration intends to “provide $75 million in additional development and economic aid. In addition, it will fund disaster assistance in Gaza to the tune of $5.5 million, and an additional $32 million to the controversial U.N. Palestinian refugee agency’s (UNRWA) emergency humanitarian appeal.”