Israel has not met U.S. demands to expand humanitarian access in Gaza, where conditions have deteriorated to their worst levels since the onset of the 13-month conflict, according to international aid organizations.
The Biden administration last month urged Israel to significantly increase the flow of food and emergency supplies into Gaza, giving a 30-day deadline that expired Tuesday. It cautioned that noncompliance could activate U.S. laws mandating a reduction in military support, as Israel’s offensive continues in Gaza and Lebanon.
Israel’s new foreign minister, Gideon Saar, downplayed the urgency, expressing confidence on Monday that “the issue would be resolved.”
A report released Tuesday by eight international aid organizations assessed Israel’s compliance with 19 U.S. requirements, finding that Israel had failed to meet 15 and only partially met four.
An October 13 letter, signed by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, urged Israel to allow at least 350 trucks of goods into Gaza daily, open a fifth border crossing, permit those in coastal tent camps to move inland for winter, and grant aid organizations access to northern Gaza’s most affected areas. The letter also requested a halt to any legislation hindering the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which supports Palestinian refugees.
“Israel not only failed to meet the U.S. benchmarks supporting a humanitarian response but also took actions that significantly worsened conditions on the ground, especially in northern Gaza,” the report stated. “The situation is now even more critical than a month ago.”
The report was signed by Anera, CARE, MedGlobal, Mercy Corps, the Norwegian Refugee Council, Oxfam, Refugees International, and Save the Children.
