US warns Israel to boost humanitarian aid into Gaza or risk weapons funding
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration has warned Israel that it must increase the amount of humanitarian aid it allows into Gaza within the next 30 days or risk losing access to US arms financing.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned their Israeli counterparts in a letter on Sunday that the changes had to happen. The letter, which reiterates US policy on humanitarian aid and arms transfers, was sent amid deteriorating conditions in northern Gaza and reports that Israel had carried out an attack on a hospital tent in central Gaza, killing at least four people were killed.
A senior defense official said Tuesday that Blinken and Austin sent a letter to their Israeli counterparts as they saw a recent decline in aid reaching Gaza. The official said a similar letter Blinken sent in April prompted a constructive response and “concrete action from the Israelis.”
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said the latest letter was a way to address the issue in the same way.
For Israel to remain eligible for foreign military financing, the level of aid entering Gaza must increase to at least 350 trucks per day, Israel must establish additional humanitarian pauses and provide greater security for humanitarian sites, Austin and Blinken said. They said Israel had 30 days to respond to the various demands.
An Israeli official confirmed that a letter had been delivered but did not elaborate on its contents. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a diplomatic matter, confirmed that the US had raised “humanitarian concerns” and was pressuring Israel to speed up the flow of aid to Gaza.
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AP reporters Tara Copp and Matthew Lee in Washington and Josef Federman in Jerusalem contributed.