During a State Department Press briefing, Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott was asked about aid distribution efforts at Gaza Humanitarian Foundation sites.
00:00If I may, I also wanted to follow up on something that Matt raised.
00:03On the GHF, there has been a lot of criticism, almost universal criticism, from the Arab world, from the UN and others, about the distribution process for limited sites in southern Gaza, no access in northern Gaza,
00:22the deployment of IDF troops monitoring access in violation of certain international norms and the Geneva Conventions.
00:34Can you tell us, as the U.S. is about to begin funding, whether they are expanding the sites to more sites so that they can equal what the World Food Program and others had done previously?
00:47Well, look, what I can say is, again, that 46 million meals distributed to date, that's something that should be applauded.
00:52We've talked about here in the past different distribution sites that have been opened, but I think this is an example of seeing that aid that has been distributed.
01:00And President Trump's commitment, Secretary Rubio, implementing that vision here to get aid to the people of Gaza.
01:05So we're seeing those 46 million meals, and then we're seeing from there the fact that we're seeing this $30 million approved.
01:10But if I may, if you do the math, there are 2 million people in Gaza.
01:15If you figure that families have multiple children and that this process has been going on now for nearly a month, 46 million meals don't amount to feeding the population of Gaza.
01:29Well, it's 46 million meals that have been distributed.
01:31That is a positive thing.
01:33And we call on other countries to support the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and its work as we have this $30 million that are approved.
01:40We're seeing the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in line with President Trump's call to deliver aid in a way where it can't be looted by Hamas.
01:47We're seeing those creative solutions.
01:48We're seeing the fact that we have 46 million meals distributed.
01:51That is good news that we have those meals being distributed.
01:54And we call on other countries to join in supporting the GHF's work.
