(MENAFN) On October 13, 2024, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin sent a formal letter to the Israeli government, expressing grave concerns about Israel's obstruction of humanitarian aid to Gaza amid ongoing military operations. The letter reminded Israel that U.S. law mandates the suspension of arms sales and security cooperation with any country that impedes the delivery of U.S. aid. The letter provided Israel with a 30-day deadline to take concrete actions to alleviate the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Among the requested actions were increasing the number of trucks allowed to enter Gaza, lifting evacuation orders that displaced millions of Palestinians, and suspending legislation that blocked UNRWA’s ability to provide aid.

Despite the deadline, Israel failed to take meaningful action on any of these requests. A subsequent analysis by Refugee International and other aid organizations found that Israel had addressed only four out of the nineteen actions requested, and even then, only partially. However, the Biden administration refrained from imposing any consequences on Israel for its inaction, accepting vague promises and partial measures as sufficient responses. This failure to hold Israel accountable highlights the Biden administration’s reluctance to challenge Israel's handling of humanitarian issues in Gaza. Since the war began, President Biden and his advisers repeatedly urged Israel to safeguard humanitarian relief, but did nothing as the Israeli government displaced most of Gaza's population, hindered aid delivery, and caused the deaths of numerous humanitarian workers.

Conditions in Gaza are dire: an estimated 50,000 children need treatment for malnutrition, most of Gaza's hospitals are out of service, and nearly 2 million people remain displaced. The World Food Programme reported that only a handful of bakeries are operational, and UNICEF stated that 95% of Gaza’s schools are either destroyed or damaged. This situation is not new. Israel has maintained strict control over Gaza's humanitarian situation for over a year, blocking aid shipments and restricting the movement of aid organizations. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have been the primary threat to the safety of aid workers, with more humanitarian staff killed in Gaza since the war began than in the rest of the world combined.

U.S. officials, including USAID Administrator Samantha Power and Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, have repeatedly condemned Israel's actions, calling them major obstacles to alleviating Gaza's suffering. Former U.S. envoy to Gaza, David Satterfield, argued that Israel had the means to improve conditions but lacked the political will to do so. Despite these calls, the Biden administration has yet to take any substantial action against Israel for its ongoing obstruction of aid to Gaza.

MENAFN11122024000045015687ID1108980835