With an announced deadline from Washington, Washington has urged Israel to make tangible steps toward improving humanitarian access in Gaza, strained by continuous military operations aimed at curbing Hamas. “It is still quite dire for the people of Gaza,” said State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller on Monday. “He took some steps to open up some aid access. There is still much more to be done. We are holding them accountable for expectations of US goals.”.

Mixed Progress on Access to Aid

The measures included increased open crossings for aid into Gaza. Miller said that was not nearly enough. “As of today, the situation has not significantly turned around,” he said, noting that many of the steps requested in an October 13 letter from the Biden administration remain at least partially unfulfilled. The deadline has not yet expired, but Miller sounded stern about the results: “Not good enough.”

The letter from Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin provides a 30-day period in which the State Department will determine whether Israel takes sufficient concrete steps to open humanitarian assistance into the Gaza Strip. According to the letter, “Otherwise, a failure to make acceptable efforts could impact US policy and legal commitments regarding foreign aid.

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The US is watching closely as Israel responds to these humanitarian concerns. Section 620i of the US Foreign Assistance Act authorizes military aid to be limited for countries that hinder US humanitarian assistance. Miller said he wouldn’t detail the direct consequences if Israel does not comply with the 30-day requirements, but he added that the US will “follow the law.”

Since it became entangled in hostilities with Hamas, which had been rising since a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel last October, the pressure on Israel to improve the humanitarian situation inside Gaza has been building up. The latest letter stresses that dramatic improvement in conditions inside the enclave is needed for the international donor community, including Washington.

UNRWA Relief and Israel’s Response

Israel has announced that it was to terminate its agreement with the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees, citing the fact that some UNRWA employees were affiliated with Hamas. This has instilled fears as UNRWA has been a lifeline in feeding, medical care, and other forms of support offered to the people in Gaza. According to Philippe Lazzarini, the head of UNRWA, the aid deliveries into Gaza have been reduced to only 30 trucks per day, down from previous volumes.

An Israeli government official then disputed Lazzarini’s assessment, saying no condition was imposed, citing the example of 47 trucks entering Gaza on Sunday. However, according to data accessed by Reuters from Israel, the present aid level is at some of the lowest points seen since October 2023. This would hint that, in general terms, the challenge in this situation lies in helping people within the conflict.

Washington Keeps Watch

With the deadline looming, the Biden administration closely watches what Israel says and does in response to those humanitarian demands. Relief agencies and the United Nations have pressed the case to say that Gaza’s population needs better and more sustained access to life-saving services. US officials are now digressing their position, reiterating that they want to see more from Israel and that future assistance may depend on these humanitarian improvements.