Biden admin demands Israel improve humanitarian efforts in Gaza

The Biden administration is urging Israel to enhance its humanitarian efforts in Gaza amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. The war has significantly affected Palestinians living in the territory controlled by Hamas along the Mediterranean Sea.

The Gaza Health Ministry reports that more than 42,000 people have been killed since the war began, though the number does not differentiate between Hamas fighters and civilians.

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The humanitarian crisis in the region is escalating as Israel continues its ground offensive in northern Gaza. According to the World Health Organization, Gaza is facing shortages of medical supplies, food and fuel. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced as Israel seeks to eradicate Hamas, and a number of hospitals have been damaged.

On Sunday, Oct. 13, the Biden administration sent a letter to Israeli officials demanding improvements in the humanitarian situation in Gaza within the next 30 days to avoid legal action regarding U.S. military aid.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin authored the letter, accusing Israel of obstructing trucks carrying U.S. humanitarian aid into Gaza. The letter states that the U.S. aims to see the transfer of 350 aid trucks daily into the Gaza Strip, along with pauses in fighting to facilitate the distribution of this aid.

On Monday, Oct. 14, and Tuesday, Oct. 15, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) posted several videos on X, claiming that hundreds of trucks containing food and supplies have been entering Gaza and that tens of thousands of children in the region have received vaccinations.

According to the “Costs of War” report from Brown University, the United States has spent at least $22.76 billion on military aid to Israel over a one-year period.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller denied this report, stating that it conflates various factors, including direct U.S. military spending on naval operations to defend shipping routes from Houthi rebels in Yemen, which he said “is obviously not aid to Israel.”

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According to Section 620-I of the Foreign Assistance Act, it is illegal for the United States to provide “security assistance or arms sales to any country when the president is made aware that the country’s government prohibits or otherwise restricts, directly or indirectly, the transport or delivery of United States humanitarian assistance.”