The failed Biden administration continues to put a damper on Israel's victory: In his first conversation in office with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, incoming Defense Minister Israel Katz received an unequivocal threat, according to which Israel must significantly increase humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, otherwise the US would be forced to limit arms and ammunition shipments to Israel.
According to a report this evening (Saturday night) by Yaron Avraham on Channel 12, the ultimatum comes against the backdrop of the passing of the 30 days allotted in the letter sent by senior US administration officials to Israel, and while the Americans note that there has been a certain increase in the scope of aid, they are still not satisfied with the pace and manner of implementing their demands.
Defense Minister Israel Katz, who officially took office on Friday in place of Yoav Gallant, held his first conversation with the US Secretary of Defense. Along with an initial introduction and a polite conversation, Austin conveyed a pointed message. The message refers to a letter that Austin and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken sent to Israel in the middle of last month, which contains a clear stipulation: If significant steps are not taken within 30 days to increase humanitarian aid to Gaza, the US will prevent the transfer of weapons and ammunition to Israel in accordance with the US Assistance Act.
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Now, with the deadline passed, the US government wants to see results.
""It has been 30 days since we sent the letter to the prime minister. I ask that you bring its contents up for discussion in the cabinet," Austin told Katz in their conversation. "I am happy to hear from you that there has been an increase in the amount of aid recently. Israel should continue this and ensure that there are no casualties among those not involved in the war in Gaza.".
Minister Katz responded in the conversation: "Israel wants to work cooperatively on the issue, but the problem is that Hamas steals the goods and sells them at high prices. We want to make sure that the aid reaches the population and are working with Arab countries to ensure that it enters the Strip and reaches those who need it.".
Despite Israel's commitment to improving the situation, American officials said that from their perspective, the ultimatum remains: If the US is not convinced that there has been a fundamental change in the arrival of humanitarian aid to Gaza, it will be forced to impose restrictions on the transfer of weapons and ammunition to Israel in the next two months.
According to reports, Blinken and Austin claim that IDF evacuation orders have led to the concentration of about 1.7 million Palestinians in a small area in Moassi, exposing them to disease. In addition, international aid organizations are having difficulty responding to needs, and aid trucks are being delayed at border crossings.
According to the Americans, the amount of aid entering Gaza in September was the lowest in the past year, and last month they demanded that Israel take concrete steps to improve the situation within 30 days.
According to News 12, Blinken and Austin outlined a number of demands from Israel - which would sabotage the Israeli victory in the Gaza Strip:
• Regular transfer of 350 aid trucks daily to the Gaza Strip through all four current border crossings.
• Opening of a fifth border crossing.
• Implementing humanitarian truces throughout Gaza for at least four months.
• Allow the Palestinians in Moassi to move east and away from the coastal area before winter.
• Cessation of the operation to isolate the northern Gaza Strip.
• Official announcement that there is no intention to evacuate residents of the northern Gaza Strip to the southern Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile, a new report by the IPC raises a serious warning about the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, stating that there is a high probability that famine is already present in parts of the northern Gaza Strip.
The IPC is an international index used to determine the nutritional status of countries and regions around the world. The index is accepted by the international community, led by the United Nations, and bases its findings on data collected from countries, international organizations, and various humanitarian actors. Its main function is to rapidly monitor signs of hunger and malnutrition and recommend immediate actions to be taken.
The main findings of the report:
• The humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is described as very serious and continues to deteriorate rapidly.
• There is a high probability that famine is already present in some parts of the northern Gaza Strip
• Damage and destruction of vital civilian infrastructure was found, including sanitation and health infrastructure.
• According to the IPC's five-stage severity scale, the Gaza Strip is currently at level 4 (EMERGENCY) - just one level below the most severe level.
The Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories rejects the findings - and told Channel 12: "We would like to remind you that so far all of the IPC's assessments have turned out to be incorrect and do not correspond to the situation on the ground. Unfortunately, the researchers continue to rely on partial, biased data and superficial and vested information sources.".
We would also like to emphasize that the IPC reports were biasedly based on organizations with vested interests and partial and incorrect knowledge that significantly undermines the credibility of the document. The Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories rejects the findings.
