Hey folks, here’s the scoop. So, the U.S. had set this deadline for Israel to ramp up the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza. But even though Israel didn’t quite hit the mark, nobody’s pulling the plug on military support or imposing any big consequences. Surprised? Join the club.
What happened, you ask? Vedant Patel from our State Department says Israel’s made some moves, adding a new Gaza border crossing, expanding a humanitarian zone, and even easing up on customs checks that were causing problems for aid groups. “We’re hoping these steps will push more aid trucks into where they’re needed,” he told reporters.
Now, here’s where things get crunchy. Secretary of State Tony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin laid out a pretty firm plan back in October. They told Israel: get more aid into Gaza or risk losing that sweet U.S. military support. The U.N. says the aid flow this year is super sluggish, way below target. We’re talking an average of 57 trucks rolling into Gaza each day, compared to the 350 trucks those guys wanted.
Israel had a month to buck up or face the music, meaning U.S. law might slap them with restrictions on arms and security assistance. Even now, the State Department’s playing it cool, saying Israel hasn’t crossed any lines yet.
With Trump’s gang, who are all on Team Israel, gearing up to influence foreign policy, this ultimatum kinda looks less threatening. President Biden’s catching flak for what critics call a “thumbs up” on Israel’s military actions in Gaza. And check this out: local health officials report over 43,000 Palestinian deaths. Yikes.
Hopes in the White House
In the White House, hope’s still alive for Israel cleaning up its act. “We’re not just giving them a free pass,” Patel pointed out. “If things don’t change, we’ll have to enforce U.S. law—no doubt about it.”
While Israel pushes blame on the U.N. and relief groups for any slow-go on aid, Blinken sat down with Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister, Ron Dermer. In their chitchat, Blinken stressed improving the harsh conditions in Gaza for an actual turnaround in humanitarian efforts.
Meanwhile, key aid organizations are throwing shade, saying Israel dropped the ball big time. Their military ops in northern Gaza are making it impossible for aid workers to reach people in need. A U.N. panel’s even hollering about potential famine hitting soon without urgent action.
Big names such as Oxfam and Save the Children aren’t holding back. They claim not only did Israel fail to beef up the aid flow, but also failed to protect aid sites and workers. At least four aid workers got killed in airstrikes during that 30-day “let’s see some action” timeframe.
Tjada D’Oyen McKenna, who heads up Mercy Corps, says the U.S. isn’t doing enough to keep Israel in check. Documenting the ongoing hurdles, organizations like hers are pushing the U.S. to step it up or risk leaving millions in dire straits.
People are calling for more tangible steps from the Biden administration to address this situation before it gets even stickier.
