US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin have sent a letter to Israel demanding that the humanitarian situation in Gaza not improve or risk losing vital security assistance.
State Department spokesman Matt Miller said at a news conference Tuesday that the letter was supposed to be a private diplomatic communication and was not intended for the public.
“What we have seen over the past few months is that the level of humanitarian assistance has not been sustained,” he added. “Ultimately, we see that our concerns were not adequately addressed and “That's why the two chief ministers sent the letter,” he added. Mr. Miller warned.
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National Security Council spokesman John Kirby sought to allay concerns, telling reporters the letter was not intended to be a threat. “This letter was intended to reiterate the sense of crisis we feel and the seriousness we feel about the need for a significant increase in humanitarian assistance. That's what you can do for a friend.''And this is not the first time we have told Israel that, but we hope we never have to tell it again. ”
Some critics disputed that the letter was not a threat.
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken speaks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, August 19, 2024. (Prime Minister's Office)
“Is threatening allies a necessary pre-election political stage to appease the radical pro-Hamas left, or is it actual US policy to disarm Israel if it doesn't agree? “I don't know what's worse than thinking about it. “Feeding, fueling, funding Hamas,'' said Richard, a senior adviser at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a former NSC official in the Trump administration. Goldberg told FOX News Digital.
“Let's be clear: this is really about whether Hamas can survive by controlling humanitarian aid and its distribution,” Goldberg said.
The letter is Originally retrieved by Axiosexpressed “deep concern at the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza” and cited recent actions by the Israeli government, including suspending commercial imports and denying or obstructing almost 90% of humanitarian operations between northern and southern Gaza in September. are of particular concern. This is contributing to the accelerating deterioration of the situation in Gaza. ”
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The amount of aid delivered to Gaza fell by 50% in September, the lowest month since the war began, since the letter acknowledged that assurances made by Israel last spring had resulted in important improvements in the humanitarian situation. amount of aid delivered.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant at the Pentagon on June 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
The letter says Israel must “reverse its downward humanitarian trajectory” and comply with its obligations to the United States within 30 days. Failure to comply with these demands would violate existing U.S. law and seriously impact U.S. national security policy, the letter said. .
Israel defended its humanitarian response to the Gaza crisis in a statement released on Monday by COGAT, the army arm that handles aid to Gaza, saying: “Since the start of the war, Israel has provided 54,270 aid to the international community. I have allowed that,” he said. Trucks carrying 1,064,820 tons of humanitarian aid arrived in Gaza through various crossings, including 38,746 trucks carrying approximately 824,078 tons of food. ”
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On September 30, 2024, Haifa, Israel comes under missile attack from southern Lebanon. (Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The United States must continually evaluate the provision of humanitarian assistance under the Foreign Assistance Act in order to provide foreign military financial assistance to Israel. President Biden issued a memorandum in February saying countries receiving U.S. weapons must comply with international humanitarian law and provide written guarantees of compliance under the laws of war.
Since the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7, 2023, the United States has surged billions of dollars in security assistance to Israel. Israel has also been the largest recipient of U.S. foreign aid since its founding, receiving approximately $310 billion in economic and military aid. On average, the United States provides more than $3 billion in security assistance to Israel annually.
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The main components of the security assistance include $500 million annually for joint U.S.-Israel missile defense programs, specifically Iron Dome, David Thring, and Arrow II, which have been in effect since October 1. It has become essential to deter rocket and missile attacks from Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran. 7.
Military assistance to Israel since October 7th includes 13,981 120mm M830A1 high-explosive anti-tank multipurpose tracer (MPAT) cartridges, 500 aircraft deliveries, and 107 shipments of more than 50,000 tons of ammunition and weapons systems to Israel. sea transportation is included. , according to the Congressional Research Service.
Evacuation tents are erected near a collapsed building in the Breij camp for Palestinian refugees in the central Gaza Strip on October 1, 2024. (Eyad Baba/AFP via Getty Images)
The United States also announced that it will send military personnel and initial components needed to operate the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery to Israel to strengthen Israel's security.
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“Deploying a THAAD company to Israel underscores the United States' commitment to the defense of Israel and to protecting Americans in Israel from any ballistic missile attack by Iran,” Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a statement. . statement.
According to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, more than 40,000 people have been killed since hostilities began last October after the terrorist group massacred Israelis. Approximately 1,200 Israelis were massacred in Gaza, and 257 were kidnapped and held hostage by Hamas. According to the International Rescue Committee, all 2.1 million people in Gaza are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance, and 1.9 million are internally displaced.
