During a press briefing on Tuesday, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce was asked about President Trump's comments on the state of aid flow into Gaza.
00:00The first one is quick. The second is not that quick.
00:03The first one is about Syria.
00:05It's reported that Ambassador Tom Barak is going to chair a security meeting between Turkey, sorry, between Israel and Syria.
00:14Is this to avoid the scenario we've seen last week?
00:17Can you elaborate on this potential meeting between them?
00:20Well, what I can tell you is that all parties have reached a cessation of hostilities.
00:25We are calling on the Syrian government to lead on the next steps and hold all perpetrators of violence accountable for their actions.
00:35The United States government supports Syria's national unity and a peaceful and inclusive resolution with its minority constituents.
00:44I did speak with the Secretary briefly, actually, just before coming up here, which is why I was a little bit late.
00:50But he expressed his optimism regarding the current situation that there needed Syrian government agreed to a boundary to not go in to the Soweto area,
01:04but that there would be a boundary to make sure that jihadists were also not going in to maintain some part of the peace, if you will.
01:12And he was enthusiastic about that, that that was unfolding properly, and that everyone involved in the atrocities would be held accountable.
01:23And that could include people who also may be affiliated with the Syrian government.
01:29Obviously, a good opportunity for them to show their commitment to what needs to be achieved there.
01:36Yes, thank you.
01:37The Pressure Foundation said that President Trump, and I want to quote him just to be precise,
01:41she said that President Trump hated seeing pictures of salvation of women and children trying desperately to get to the aid.
01:50He wanted to see it done in a peaceful manner.
01:53As you know, there's a thousand people who have been held around the food distribution center.
01:57So how can the State Department or the administration fulfill the President's statement of what he said now,
02:04to make sure that the food amount is increased more than the $80 million that you mentioned to us before,
02:10and to make sure that people are secure and not killed while they're trying to get the food?
02:15Right, that is clearly our North Star.
02:17It is the thing that is uppermost in mind for the President,
02:21to still get peace so that these issues are no longer issues.
02:25Also, in my conversation with the Secretary, he has noted that Special Envoy Whitcoff is heading to the region now,
02:33to the Gaza area.
02:36And we all have, as the President and the Secretary and the envoy,
02:41a strong hope that we will come forward with another ceasefire,
02:46as well as a humanitarian corridor for aid to flow,
02:52that both sides have, in fact, agreed to this.
02:55So we are looking forward to that arrangement and to a possible framework, again, regarding a ceasefire.
03:03Remember, we had one before, which Hamas broke.
03:06But what the Secretary indicated was, again, an aid corridor that needs to be set up,
03:12that both sides have agreed to,
03:14that the humanitarian situation, of course, has been a main focus of what our concern has been, obviously.
03:20And so I'm hoping, as I mentioned to some of you earlier in the day in our conversation,
03:26that each day has the potential to have this be better.
03:30Let us, we're working on it constantly.
03:32And so I would suggest that we might have some good news.
03:36But, again, as we know, this can be constantly a changing dynamic.
