Israel’s government said 50 trucks filled with humanitarian aid were allowed into northern Gaza on Wednesday, one day after a U.S. warning that the deteriorating humanitarian situation there could threaten future U.S. military support became public.
“50 trucks carrying humanitarian aid — including food, water, medical supplies, and shelter equipment provided by Jordan — were transferred today to northern Gaza through the Allenby Bridge Crossing and the Erez West Crossing as part of our commitment to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza,” said Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories, the Israeli Defense Ministry body that oversees activity in the West Bank and Gaza.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin wrote a letter to Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant and Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer this past weekend, informing them that Israel had to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza or risk violating U.S. law regarding U.S. foreign military sales.
The U.S. cabinet officials are giving Israel 30 days, which falls after the U.S. election, to “reverse the downward humanitarian trajectory and consistency with its assurances to us” and warned that “failure to demonstrate a sustained commitment to implementing and gaining these measures may have implications for U.S. policy” under relevant law.
One requirement outlined in the letter is allowing at least 350 trucks a day to enter Gaza through all four major crossings. The letter also calls for Israel to open a fifth crossing and implement humanitarian pauses across Gaza to enable humanitarian activities, including vaccinations and aid distribution, for at least the next four months.
The letter comes as Israeli forces have upped their military operations against Hamas in northern Gaza as the U.S.-designated terrorist group attempts to reconstitute.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Tuesday, “We have not seen sufficient results over the past few weeks,” noting that the amount of aid getting into Gaza “has fallen by over 50% from where it was at its peak,” prompting the outreach.
The Biden administration has been concerned about the humanitarian situation in Gaza since the war began in the aftermath of Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack in southern Israel. An overwhelming majority of Palestinians have been displaced from their homes, and Israel’s war has resulted in the destruction of significant amounts of infrastructure. More than 40,000 people are believed to have been killed during the war, and Israeli officials have admitted that about half were civilians.
Israel has issued evacuation orders for northern Gaza multiple times, while the United States has repeatedly urged them to do more to safeguard Palestinian civilians. Israeli forces began their ground operations in northern Gaza and moved south, leaving a power vacuum behind. They have had to go back north multiple times to prevent Hamas from regrouping.
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Allowing aid to enter Gaza’s borders isn’t the only problem. Hundreds of humanitarian workers have been killed in the war despite trying to coordinate their movements with the Israeli military, and terrorist groups and gangs have attempted to divert the aid, which is meant for civilians, for themselves.
The U.S. has also continued to provide billions of dollars in military support for Israel as it continues operations against Hamas and Hezbollah in Gaza and Lebanon. The Israelis were also expected to retaliate against Iran for its ballistic missile attack.
