US threatens to cut off military aid if Israel doesn't improve Gaza humanitarian situation within 30 days

The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden warned Israel it has 30 days to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza or risk the supply of U.S. weapons being impacted, according to a letter sent to Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. 

Administration officials stated that the amount of humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip has decreased in recent months.

The letter was sent on Sunday to Gallant and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and was posted on 𝕏 by Israeli journalist Barak Ravid. 

🚨🇺🇸🇮🇱Secretary of State Blinken & Secretary of Defense Austin sent a letter on Monday to Israel demanding it takes steps within 30 days to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza in order to avoid consequences in U.S. law for U.S. milirary aid to Israel. See letter here: pic.twitter.com/N9DDMqsL7u

— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) October 15, 2024

In the letter, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin complain that the amount of humanitarian aid entering Gaza has declined over the past several months. 

Blinken and Austin suggested that the reduction in aid raises concerns about Israel's earlier commitment to maintaining the flow of humanitarian assistance into the Gaza Strip.

Israel previously agreed to abide by certain conditions, such as placing no restrictions on the entry of U.S. aid into a war zone and demonstrating that it is using U.S. weapons in line with international law.

The Biden administration later deemed the IDF’s assurances to abide by international humanitarian law regarding its use of American weapons to be "credible and reliable." 

The letter from the Biden administration officials raises questions about the strategic partnership between the two allies, the current state of aid in Gaza, and the potential implications for Israel’s war efforts against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. 

Further, Blinken and Austin complained that IDF evacuation orders have concentrated about 1.7 million Palestinians in the Muwasi humanitarian zone. Officials say the cramped conditions could increase the risk of disease. In addition, international aid organizations have said they are struggling to meet the needs of Palestinians and claimed that aid trucks have been delayed at border crossings. 

The two secretaries claim that following improvements Israel made in the spring to increase humanitarian aid, “the amount of aid delivered has [since] dropped by more than 50 percent.” 

They claimed the amount of aid entering Gaza in September was the lowest in the past year. 

“To reverse the downward humanitarian trajectory and consistent with its assurances to us, Israel must — starting now and within 30 days – act on the following concrete measures,” they wrote.

Blinken and Austin made several demands focusing on three areas: Increasing the supply of humanitarian aid before the start of winter; improving aid delivery via Jordan; and ending the “isolation” of northern Gaza. 

Officials called for the daily delivery of 350 aid trucks into Gaza through the four existing crossings, requested the opening of a fifth crossing, and proposed a minimum of 50 to 100 aid trucks entering from Jordan each day.

The passage of aid from Jordan is complex, requiring vehicles to be inspected at the Jordanian border. The cargo must then pass through Judea and Samaria, as well as Israel’s southern communities, where it undergoes a second round of inspections before reaching Gaza.

Blinken and Austin also called on Israeli officials to reaffirm it has no plans to enforce mandatory evacuations in northern Gaza.

Recently, Israel called for all civilians to evacuate the town of Jabaliya as it conducts targeted operations against Hamas forces there. 

COGAT, the military agency that oversees aid distribution in Gaza and the West Bank, denied there is a humanitarian crisis in northern Gaza. 

In a post on its 𝕏 account, the organization noted there are currently five bakeries in northern Gaza producing approximately 1.3 million pitas per day. 

Bakeries in Gaza: Status update

🍞 🥖13 active bakeries are producing 3.1 million pita breads daily.

North Gaza: 5 bakeries are producing 1.3 million pita breads per day.

Central Gaza: 8 bakeries are producing 1.8 million pita breads a day.

We coordinated the refueling of… pic.twitter.com/GcyYAZ6HZh

— COGAT (@cogatonline) October 11, 2024

The Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) also accused international aid organizations operating in Gaza of failing to pick up and distribute aid once it is inspected and crosses the border into Gaza.

According to COGAT, there are still 530 humanitarian aid trucks stranded on the Gaza side of the Kerem Shalom crossing, awaiting collection by international organizations. 

In response to recent complaints, COGAT has begun reporting the number of trucks entering Gaza daily, as well as the actual number collected by aid organizations, which is significantly lower.

Notably, while the letter briefly mentions “increased lawlessness and looting” as part of the issue, the wording and tone of the letter appear to put the onus of ensuring humanitarian aid delivery on Israel.

The letter does not address the failure of international aid organizations to collect or distribute the aid, nor does it mention ensuring that the aid is not being seized by Hamas.

The letter also mentions the recent legislation in the Knesset to “remove certain privileges and immunities” from UNRWA and its staff. Blinken and Austin wrote that they “share your concerns about the serious allegations of certain UNRWA employees participating in the October 7 terrorist attacks and of Hamas misusing UNRWA facilities,” but say the enactment of such legislation would “devastate the Gaza humanitarian response.” 

Israel has provided evidence of multiple UNRWA workers participating in the Oct. 7 attacks. In addition, several of the hostages released during the November 2023 deal said they were held hostage in the homes of UN workers in Gaza. 

The authenticity of the letter was confirmed by U.S. officials, although they said they did not intend to release it publicly.

Ravid, who shared the letter on 𝕏, did not say how he obtained a copy, however, he posted versions of the letter in both English and Hebrew on his account. 

An Israeli official told the Axios news outlet, “Israel takes this matter seriously and intends to address the concerns raised in this letter with our American counterparts.”