US presses Israel on improving Gaza humanitarian situation

Washington, Oct 16
The Joe Biden administration has confirmed that US Secretaries of State and Defence co-signed a letter last week that was sent to their Israeli counterparts, urging Israel to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza within the next 30 days.

During a press briefing on Tuesday, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller confirmed to reporters the letter co-signed by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin that was addressed to Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer.

The letter was intended "to make clear our concerns the levels of humanitarian assistance that have been making it into Gaza," Miller said, adding that the US considers the letter "to be a private diplomatic communication that we did not intend to make public from our side".

According to a report by CNN, the letter warned that should Israel fail to make more humanitarian aid accessible to Gazans, the country would risk violating US laws governing foreign military assistance. As a result, US military aid to Israel could be in jeopardy.

The letter noted that under US laws, the State and Defence Departments must continually assess Israel's adherence to its assurances that it would not restrict aid flows into Gaza, Xinhua news agency reported.

The 30-day period given by the US means that potential consequences, if any, if Israel does not heed US warnings will occur after the US presidential election on November 5.

Asked to explain the deadline, US National Security Council Spokesperson John Kirby referred reporters to the State Department for an explanation, saying that the Biden administration also sent a letter to Israel back in April in which it "made a similar request for concrete measures with respect to humanitarian assistance".

Kirby said the latest letter was "tied to a recent decrease" in the flow of humanitarian assistance into Gaza.

"But it's not like we haven't communicated these concerns in writing before to the Israelis," he added.