An aerial view of the Gaza Strip. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

At a White House meeting on the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, all participants “left politics at the door” and “focused on practical solutions,” a top Trump administration official said afterward.

President Donald Trump’s special representative for international negotiations, Jason Greenblatt, tweeted:

Many thanks to my friends from Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates & Israel at the White House for the Gaza Conference. Thank you for putting all tensions aside to work w/ us. Everyone left politics at the door & focused on practical solutions.

— Jason D. Greenblatt (@jdgreenblatt45) March 13, 2018

Thank you also to my friends from Canada, Cyprus, European Union, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom & United Nations, & reps from Office of the Quartet, USAID, & OPIC who also joined today’s important discussion.

— Jason D. Greenblatt (@jdgreenblatt45) March 13, 2018

In his speech at the gathering, Greenblatt said, “We all know that none of this will be easy. And, everything we do must be done in a way that ensures we do not put the security of Israelis and Egyptians at risk — and that we do not inadvertently empower Hamas, which bears responsibility for Gaza’s suffering. But the situation today in Gaza is unacceptable, and spiraling downwards.”

Earlier on Tuesday, Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah survived an assassination attempt as he traveled to the inauguration of a waste treatment plant in Hamas-ruled Gaza.

Greenblatt condemned that incident, saying:

We condemn attack against @RamiHamdalla. Gazans have been brought to the brink of collapse by Hamas, PIJ & other extremist groups. Attack on PA delegation opening water treatment plant is an attack on the welfare of the people of Gaza. Wishing a speedy recovery to the injured.

— Jason D. Greenblatt (@jdgreenblatt45) March 13, 2018