Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer is expected to respond to the letter on Tuesday, following the US elections.
By Vered Weiss, World Israel News
The Biden Administration has issued an ultimatum to Israel that if the humanitarian situation in Gaza doesn’t improve by November 13th, it will cut military aid.
The warning follows a letter by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to their Israeli counterparts on October 13th.
The letter stated that if there were no amelioration of the condition of Gazan civilians in 30 days, there would likely be limitations on the delivery of weapons and supplies to Israel.
The U.S. issued these warnings despite evidence that over half of the humanitarian aid delivered to the Gaza Strip is stolen by Hamas terrorists, and the looting of supplies weakens Gazan civilians and strengthens Hamas.
In a press conference on Thursday, Blinken and Austin said, “Both of us and our teams are tracking very carefully Israel’s responsibilities to meet the letter of the law … with regard to the provision of humanitarian assistance. ”
They acknowledged that there had been some improvement but expressed dissatisfaction with the pace of progress.
Israel’s Channel 12 reported that as of September 2024, Hamas profited half a billion dollars from humanitarian aid deliveries in Gaza.
Gazan civilians report and footage shows Hamas stealing aid from convoys coming into Gaza and often selling it to civilians at high prices.
In the report, journalist Almog Boker described the stolen humanitarian aid as “oxygen” for the terror group.
Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer is expected to respond to the letter on Tuesday, following the U.S. elections.
On Friday, the U.S. State Department reported that during a meeting between Blinken and Dermer, the Secretary of State emphasized ending the war in Gaza, bringing the hostages home, and establishing a policy for governance of Gaza following a ceasefire.
They also discussed implementing a diplomatic agreement to end the conflict in Lebanon for the safe return of the Israeli evacuees to their homes in the north.