Blinken, on Gaza aid, says US has to anticipate possible 'spillage' over to Hamas

WASHINGTON DC, USA - OCTOBER 31: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a United States Senate Committee on Appropriations hearing on Capitol Hill October 31, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Celal Güne/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Secretary of State Antony Blinken has admitted to lawmakers Tuesday that "we have to anticipate" some of the humanitarian aid flowing into the Gaza Strip will end up in the hands of the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas. 

Blinken made the remark in front of the Senate Appropriations Committee as he said the U.S. is trying to coordinate 100 trucks of aid per day into the conflict zone this week, arguing that it is the "bare minimum of what is needed." 

"Can I promise you in this committee that there'll be 100% delivery to the designated recipients? No, there will inevitably be some spillage," he said. "We haven't seen it to date, but I think we have to anticipate that. But the overwhelming, overwhelming majority of the assistance thus far is getting to people who need it. And we need more." 

Blinken said so far, the U.S. has gotten up to 50 trucks of aid per day into the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. 

"Before the conflict in Gaza, before Hamas' aggression against Israel and its response, the U.N. and other agencies and other organizations providing relief were sending in between 500 and 800 hundred trucks a day," he said. "Right now, we're up to almost 60. We're trying to get to 100 this week."