U.N. officials report that their requests for urgently needed humanitarian aid to enter Gaza continue to be blocked. During a meeting on Tuesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken was informed by Israeli leaders that it is not Israel’s policy to isolate northern Gaza, despite ongoing denials of aid by the country.
Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the U.N. Secretary-General, highlighted the importance of delivering essential supplies, including blood, critical medications, food parcels, fuel for hospitals, and water, all of which remain unfulfilled. He stated, “This includes planned missions by U.N. agencies and our partners to deliver lifesaving supplies.”
The need for increased humanitarian aid to Gaza was a key focus in Blinken’s discussions with Israeli officials, who acknowledged the depth of U.S. concern. In a recent letter, Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned Israel of a 30-day deadline to enhance humanitarian support to Gaza or face potential restrictions on U.S. military assistance, as mandated by U.S. law.
During the meetings, Israeli officials presented the actions they had taken in response to the letter. While Blinken acknowledged seeing initial progress in some areas, he noted that “the steps taken thus far have not been sufficient.” He emphasized the need for more meaningful action, according to a senior State Department official.
On Monday, reports indicated that 114 trucks crossed into Gaza from the Kerem Shalom and Erez West crossings, but it remained unclear how much of the assistance directly benefited the local population.
Israel assured Blinken that it was committed to executing the concrete actions outlined by the Biden administration. “We take those commitments seriously. It’s the results that matter,” stated the senior administration official, who added, “We expect to see action and sustained action on this within 30 days.”
However, the readout from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office following the meeting made no reference to humanitarian assistance.
Credit: NBC News
