‘Working at it hard’: Kirby says of U.S. efforts to open humanitarian corridor in Israel

U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby says his government is “literally non-stop communicating” with Israeli and Egyptian officials to open a humanitarian corridor in and out of Gaza.

Kirby told CTV’s Question Period host Vassy Kapelos in an interview airing Sunday that the U.S. government is working with its counterparts to not only secure safe passage out of Gaza for those hoping to leave, but also so humanitarian and aid organizations can get supplies and care to Palestinians.

“The United States believes that the Palestinian people in Gaza they’re victims, too,” Kirby said. “They didn’t ask for this, and we are the largest contributor of humanitarian assistance to them. We mean to keep that going.”

Palestinians began moving out of northern Gaza on Friday after the Israeli military urged civilians to head south ahead of an expected ground invasion against Hamas, which has ruled the territory since 2007.

But with approximately one million people, or about half of Gaza’s population, potentially fleeing, the United Nations has warned that this sort of evacuation would be “calamitous.”

The weeklong war between Israel and Hamas has left thousands dead already. Hamas launched an unexpected attack from Gaza on Oct. 7, which killed more than 1,300 Israelis, mostly civilians. The Israeli government says about 1,500 Hamas militants were killed during the fighting.

Israel has since retaliated with repeated airstrikes in Gaza. The Gaza Health Ministry said on Friday that about 1,800 people have been killed in the territory, more than half of them under the age of 18 or women.

Gaza is currently sealed off from food, water and medical supplies, and is also under a power blackout. Israel and Egypt have also imposed a blockade on Gaza for 16 years.

“We believe that everybody has a responsibility to do what we can do for the innocent Palestinian people of Gaza, who are being actually victimized very much by Hamas – hiding behind them, using them as human shields, using tunnels under their homes, and hospitals and schools as command bunkers. That’s what terrorists do,” Kirby said when asked whether Egypt has a moral responsibility to open its border.

“We all have an obligation to do what we can to help the innocent people of Gaza, the innocent Palestinian people, who did not bring this upon themselves.”

During a press briefing on Friday, Julie Sunday, assistant deputy minister of Consular, Security and Emergency Management at Global Affairs Canada, said there may be an opportunity for people to leave Gaza on Saturday through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.

Officials said they are facing increasing challenges trying to communicate with Canadians in Gaza but are actively engaging with authorities to ensure Canadians, permanent residents and their family members can leave.

With files from The Associated Press