A second convoy of aid trucks entered Gaza through the Rafah crossing late Sunday, offering only a small fraction of the relief needed but also a “glimmer of hope,” United Nations aid chief Martin Griffiths said. President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a phone call Sunday that there would be a “continued flow of this critical assistance,” according to the White House. As tensions rise in the Middle East, Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned of a “likelihood of escalation by Iranian proxies” against U.S. forces, and said that the United States is “taking steps to make sure we can effectively defend our people.” The Pentagon has already sent two aircraft carriers and about 2,000 Marines to the eastern Mediterranean to deter Iran or Hezbollah from joining the conflict.
