The US has warned Israel in a letter that any further military aid might be at risk unless the humanitarian situation in devastated Gaza is improved.
“We are particularly concerned that recent actions by the Israeli government – including halting commercial imports, denying or impeding nearly 90 percent of humanitarian movements between northern and southern Gaza in September, […] together with increased lawlessness and looting – are contributing to an accelerated deterioration in the conditions in Gaza,” read a Sunday letter, jointly written by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and first reported by Israeli News 12.
Addressed to Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, it sets out measures that Washington expects Israel to take, including:
Allowing a minimum of 350 trucks carrying humanitarian aid to enter Gaza per day
Opening a new fifth crossing
Implementing humanitarian pauses across Gaza to enable humanitarian activities
Guaranteeing security for humanitarian convoys and movements • Ensuring that the Jordanian Armed Forces corridors operate at full capacity
Opening a new channel between the US and Israeli governments to “raise and discuss civilian harm incidents”
Unless such measures are taken, Israel risks violating US laws governing foreign military assistance, per the letter.
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said the letter "was not meant as a threat," adding that it appeared “they [the Israelis] are taking this seriously." According to a cited Israeli official in Washington, the letter was being reviewed.
Screenshot of X post by Israel's Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) agency.
© Photo : cogatonline
Coincidentally, a day after the letter was sent, Israel’s Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) agency tweeted photos of aid entering Gaza, saying that “Israel is not preventing the entry of humanitarian aid, with an emphasis on food, into Gaza.”
The US has spent a record of at least $17.9 billion on military aid to Israel since the war in Gaza began, according to a report for Brown University's Costs of War project. Another $4.86 billion had been funneled into stepped-up US military operations in the region since October 7, 2023, the findings show.
Screenshot of chart showing amount of US military aid to Israel.
© Photo : Watson Institute - Brown University
Overall, Israel has been the largest cumulative recipient of US foreign aid since its founding in 1948, according to research by the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), receiving about $310 billion (adjusted for inflation) in total economic and military assistance.
Screenshot of chart showing amount of US aid to Israel.
© Photo : council on foreign relations