News Mania / Piyal Chatterjee / 16th October 2024
According to U.S. sources, the United States has issued the toughest warning since Israel’s war with Hamas started a year ago, stating that it must act within the next month to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza or risk having its military aid restricted. Amid a fresh Israeli attack in northern Gaza, U.S. officials said Tuesday that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin wrote to Israeli leaders on Sunday, calling for tangible steps to address the deteriorating situation in the Palestinian enclave.
According to the letter, which Israeli News 12 first reported, failure to do so could have an effect on U.S. policy.
“We are particularly concerned that recent actions by the Israeli government … are contributing to an accelerated deterioration in the conditions in Gaza,” said a copy of the letter posted by an Axios reporter on X.
According to the letter, Israel was enforcing “burdensome and excessive” limits on what commodities might enter Gaza, as well as restrictions on commercial imports and the prohibition of the majority of humanitarian travels between northern and southern Gaza.John Kirby, the White House’s national security spokesperson, stated that the letter “was not meant as a threat” but emphasized how urgent it is to provide more help to Gaza.
The letter raises the possibility of a change in Washington’s backing for Israel and is the most explicit ultimatum Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has received since the start of the Gaza battle. The letter listed specific actions Israel must do within 30 days, such as allowing at least 350 trucks to enter Gaza daily, halting combat to allow relief delivery, and canceling orders for Palestinian residents to evacuate when there is no tactical necessity.
“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 said.
It cited Section 620i of the Foreign Assistance Act, which prohibits military aid to countries that impede delivery of U.S. humanitarian assistance.
Since the war with Hamas started with the Palestinian militant group’s strikes on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, Washington has repeatedly urged Israel to improve humanitarian circumstances in Gaza. Even after earlier warnings about Israel’s actions in the war were ignored, the Biden administration has mostly refused to place constraints on the billions of dollars of military aid the US provides to Israel. Israel claims that its operations to expel Hamas militants who are hiding in tunnels and among Gaza’s civilian population are compliant with international law.
