Blinken vows US help to rebuild shattered Gaza

US secretary of state Antony Blinken pledged on a West Asia mission on Tuesday that Washington would rally support to rebuild Gaza as part of efforts to bolster a ceasefire between its Hamas rulers and Israel.

But Blinken made clear that the US intended to ensure that Hamas, which it regards as a terrorist organisation, did not benefit from the humanitarian aid - a potentially difficult task in an enclave over which it has a strong grip.

Blinken began his regional visit in Jerusalem, where he held talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Israeli leader, speaking to reporters with the top US diplomat at his side, threatened a “very powerful response” if Hamas renewed cross-border rocket strikes.

The truce, brokered by Egypt and coordinated with the US, began on Friday after 11 days of the worst fighting between Palestinian militants and Israel in years. Now in its fifth day, it has been holding.

“We know that to prevent a return to violence we have to use the space created to address a larger set of underlying issues and challenges,” Blinken said. “And that begins with tackling the grave humanitarian situation in Gaza and starting to rebuild.”

The US, he said, would work to rally international support around that effort and make its own “significant contributions”, to be announced later in the day. “We will work with our partners, closely with all to ensure that Hamas does not benefit from the reconstruction assistance,” Blinken said about the group.

Blinken will be in the region through Thursday, and will also travel to Egypt and Jordan.

The American diplomat, who said he hoped to rebuild relationships with the Palestinian people and the Palestinian Authority, was due to meet Western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank later on Tuesday. JERUSALEM: