US warns Israel: Enhance Gaza’s humanitarian conditions or risk losing military assistance

October 16, 2024

Updated: October 16, 2024

WASHINGTON — In‌ an unprecedented move, the United States has issued a stern warning to Israel, stating ‍that it must take⁣ immediate action within the next month to ‍alleviate ⁤the worsening humanitarian crisis ⁣in Gaza. Failure to ‍do so could result in potential limitations on U.S. military aid, according to ‌U.S. officials. This is the most severe warning issued since the initiation of Israeli‌ operations to eliminate Hamas militants a year ago.

On Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin penned a letter to Israeli ‍officials expressing ⁢their deep concern‌ over the deteriorating situation in the ‍Palestinian enclave. The details of the ‍letter were confirmed by⁢ U.S. officials on ‌Tuesday.

“We are writing ‌now ‌to underscore the U.S. government’s deep concern over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, and seek urgent and ⁣sustained actions by your government this month to reverse this ⁢trajectory,” they wrote in a ‌letter ‌to their Israeli counterparts, which ‌was shared by an Axios⁣ reporter ⁢on social ⁢media ‌platform X.

The letter, first reported‌ by ⁤Israeli ⁢News 12, warned that failure to act could have ⁤implications on U.S. policy. The letter was confirmed to be⁣ authentic by ‍officials to Reuters and was⁢ sent to Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and⁢ Strategic Affairs Minister Ron ‍Dermer.

Neither the State Department⁣ nor the Pentagon responded immediately to requests for comment on the letter. The White House also did not immediately respond on whether President Joe Biden had approved the letter. The Israeli embassy in Washington declined to comment.

This letter represents the most explicit ultimatum given⁣ to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government‍ since the Gaza conflict‍ began, suggesting a potential shift in Washington’s ⁤support for Israel.

Washington has frequently urged Israel ⁢to improve humanitarian⁢ conditions in Gaza since the war with Hamas began with the Palestinian militant group’s attacks‌ on southern Israel just over a year ago.⁤ Despite previous warnings over its conduct in the war‍ not being heeded, the Biden administration⁢ has largely refrained from⁣ imposing restrictions on the billions of dollars of military aid the United States⁢ sends to Israel.

The administration, which has ⁣consistently said it supports⁢ Israel’s right to defend itself,‍ appeared to balance ‍its criticism of Israel’s actions in ⁢Gaza with a strong show of military‌ support by announcing on⁤ Sunday — the same day as⁢ the letter — that it would send U.S. troops and‌ the advanced THAAD anti-missile batteries to Israel.

Aid restrictions

These reports emerge as Israeli forces extend operations⁣ into northern Gaza ⁢amid ongoing concerns about access to humanitarian aid throughout the enclave and civilians’ access to food, water and medicine.

Earlier this month, Reuters reported that food supplies have fallen sharply since Israeli authorities introduced a new customs rule on some humanitarian ⁢aid and are separately scaling‍ down deliveries organized by businesses.

Last week, the United States told the U.N. Security Council ‌that ⁢Israel needs to⁣ urgently address the “catastrophic conditions” among Palestinian civilians in the besieged Gaza Strip and stop “intensifying suffering” by limiting aid deliveries.

The letter outlined specific steps Israel must take within 30 days, including enabling a minimum‌ of 350 trucks‍ to enter Gaza per ⁢day, instituting pauses in ‌fighting to allow aid delivery and rescinding evacuation orders to Palestinian civilians when there is no operational need.

“Failure to demonstrate a sustained commitment to ⁣implementing and maintaining these measures may have implications for U.S. policy … and relevant U.S. law,” the letter warned.

It cited Section 620i of the Foreign Assistance Act, which prohibits military aid to countries that impede delivery of U.S. humanitarian assistance.⁤ It also referenced a National Security Memorandum President Joe Biden issued in February that requires the State ‌Department to report to ‍Congress on whether it finds credible Israel’s assurances that its use ⁤of U.S. weapons does not violate U.S. or international law.

‘Did ‍not fully cooperate’

Earlier⁢ this year, Blinken concluded that Israel may have violated international humanitarian law using U.S.-supplied weapons and “did not fully cooperate” with efforts ‌to get humanitarian aid into Gaza, but said this did not amount to a breach of U.S law.

Internal State Department memos‌ reviewed by Reuters reported instances of Israeli military actions that “arbitrarily restrict humanitarian‌ aid,” including rejecting entire ‍trucks of aid⁢ due to a ⁣single “dual-use” item and repeated‌ attacks on humanitarian ⁤sites.

Seth Binder, director ‌of advocacy at the Middle East Democracy⁢ Center, said the letter showed senior⁢ U.S. officials know that Israel is ⁢restricting aid⁤ but have been “bending over backwards ‍to ⁢avoid enforcing U.S. law at the expense‍ of Palestinian civilians.”

Washington’s provision ‍of military assistance to Israel has prompted protests ⁢across the United States and made some groups leery of voting for Vice President ‍Kamala Harris in the Nov.⁤ 5 ⁣presidential election. Dozens of ⁣Biden’s fellow Democrats‍ have also called‍ for restrictions to⁤ be imposed on the aid, although‌ broad support‌ for Israel ⁤remains ‌in Congress.

The House of Representatives‍ Foreign Affairs Committee has asked for a ⁢briefing from the administration on the secretaries’ ‍letter, a spokesperson for the committee’s Republican majority ‌said.