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New aid routeOn the previous leg of his regional tour in Jordan, Blinken said a Gaza truce and the redoubling of aid deliveries went hand in hand.A truce is “the most effective way to relieve the suffering” of civilians in Gaza, he told reporters near Amman.Blinken saw off a first Jordanian truck convoy of aid heading to Gaza through the Erez crossing reopened by Israel.”It is real and important progress, but more still needs to be done,” he said.UN agencies have warned that without urgent intervention, famine looms in Gaza, particularly in northern areas which are hardest to reach.A US-built floating pier on Gaza’s coast is expected to be completed later this week, said Cyprus, the departure point for the planned “maritime corridor”.Blinken said the pier would “significantly increase the assistance” but was not “a substitute” for greater overland access.In northern Gaza’s Beit Lahia, across from Erez crossing, 24-year-old farmer Yussef Abu Rabih was replanting plots he said had been “completely destroyed” by the fighting.”We decided to return to farming despite difficult conditions and scarce resources” after suffering “severe hunger”, he told AFP.
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Blinken urges Hamas to agree Gaza truce as he meets Israel leaders
