U.S. tells Israel military aid will end unless Gaza conditions improve: reports
Global News
A letter from U.S. officials to their Israeli counterparts cites a U.S. law that prohibits military aid to countries that impede delivery of U.S. humanitarian assistance.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Israel must take steps in the next month to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza to avoid legal action involving U.S. military aid, according to news reports and sources.
“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 an Oct. 13 letter to their Israeli counterparts, posted by an Axios reporter on X on Tuesday.
A reporter for Israeli News 12 first reported the contents of the letter on X.
Two sources familiar with the matter confirmed the letter’s veracity to Reuters.
The State Department and Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the letter. Representatives for Israel’s government also could not be immediately reached for comment.
Washington has frequently pressed Israel to improve humanitarian conditions in Gaza since the conflict with Hamas began with the Palestinian militant group’s attacks on southern Israel just over a year ago, but the Biden administration has not imposed restrictions on the military aid the United States sends to Israel.
The reports come as Israeli forces expand operations into northern Gaza amid ongoing concerns about access to humanitarian aid throughout the enclave and civilians’ access to food, water and medicine.
Reuters reported earlier this month 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.
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