The United States has warned Israel that military aid could be restricted unless immediate steps are taken to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin sent a formal letter to Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, outlining specific actions Israel must take within 30 days.
The letter, sent on Monday, cited a significant decrease in the amount of humanitarian assistance reaching Gaza and emphasized that compliance with U.S. law—particularly National Security Memorandum 20 (NSM-20)—is required for military aid to continue. According to the U.S., aid deliveries to Gaza in recent months have dropped by over 50%.
Key Demands in the U.S. Letter
The letter outlined specific actions Israel must take to address the humanitarian crisis, including:
- Increase Aid Deliveries: Enable at least 350 trucks of aid to enter Gaza daily and open a new border crossing to facilitate humanitarian supplies.
- Humanitarian Pauses: Implement pauses in military operations to allow critical humanitarian activities such as vaccinations and food distribution.
- Evacuation Adjustments: Rescind unnecessary evacuation orders and allow civilians to move from high-risk areas before winter.
- Logistical Improvements: Improve road conditions and logistics to support aid convoys, especially in preparation for winter.
- Coordination Enhancements: Assign liaison officers from Israel’s Southern Command to assist humanitarian convoys and enhance coordination with aid organizations.
- Remove Restrictions: Lift restrictions on trucks and critical supplies on the dual-use restricted list.
Failure to meet these conditions could result in a reassessment of U.S. military aid under NSM-20 according to the letter, although defensive systems like the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) remain exempt. The letter follows a similar one sent in April, when Israel made temporary adjustments to facilitate aid, but aid levels have since declined.
The U.S. letter highlighted that aid flows to Gaza in September were the lowest in a year, and the Biden administration emphasized that compliance with international humanitarian law is critical for future military aid. Despite initial improvements after the April warning, the U.S. has noted a marked decline in aid deliveries in recent months.
Defense sources have indicated that Israel may be forced to comply with the U.S. demands within the 30-day deadline, despite concerns that this may complicate efforts to pressure Hamas into negotiating the release of hostages.
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