A Palestinian man looks out towards destroyed Hamas government buildings following an Israeli air strike in Gaza City. Dec. 30, 2008 (Amir Farshad Ebrahimi/Creative Commons)

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met Prime Minister-designate of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem Monday during her first trip to the Middle East as chief diplomat.

Clinton pledged US funding for relief of the humanitarian crisis in the war-torn Gaza Strip, and stressed the inevitability of a “two-state solution” to the conflict. Clinton, as quoted in a Reuters article published today, said “…we should wait until we have a new Israeli government. That will be soon and then we will look at whatever tools are available,’ repeating her support for creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel.”

While Netanyahu forms a new government, the needs of the residents of Gaza must be addressed with what Martin Luther King, Jr. dubbed “the fierce urgency of now.”

Clinton pledged $300 million in an effort to assist civilians who are struggling to survive with little access to basic resources and an economy in shambles. However, political and logistical complexities, such as the closure of the two major border crossings, are impeding the delivery of necessary supplies into Gaza. Israel’s stronghold of the borders led French President Nicholas Sarkozy to call Gaza “a prison with open skies.”

You (yes, you) can takepart to help the citizens of Gaza. Become educated, and spread the word:

-View this UN photo gallery to get a visual understanding of the severity of the situation on the ground, and donate to the UNRWA Special Gaza Appeal, a UN subdivision that provides Gazans with food, shelter, schooling, health care and more.

-Sign a petition for peace.

-Read “Raising Yousuf and Noor: Diary of a Palestinian Mother,” a blog published by journalist Laila El-Haddad.

-Support Oxfam’s short term and long term efforts in the region.

-Be sure to read Gina’s post on Yoni Goodman’s new short, Closed Zone.