US seeks 'constructive response' after warning Israel of halt in arms flow if Gaza aid situation not improved

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - The White House said Wednesday that it wants to see Israel respond constructively to a letter sent by two US officials demanding that Israel alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza or risk a potential American arms embargo.

Spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre declined to say whether the US would actually impose the penalty on Israel if it does not comply, saying: "I'm not going to get into hypotheticals from here." But she pointed to another letter in April sent seeking improvements to the flow of aid in Gaza that produced what she described as "constructive" results.

"This is connected to a decrease of humanitarian aid that is very, very much needed in Gaza, as you all know. And so that's what that this is. We've done this before. It's worked. And so we're doing this again, and so we want to see a constructive response," said Jean-Pierre.

The letter, sent jointly by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to their Israeli counterparts, gives Israel 30 days to meet the demands, warning of consequences under US law if they are not met.

The letter, obtained by multiple news outlets, was unusually terse, and detailed multiple issues that could imperil the further provision of assistance.

"We are now writing to underscore the U.S. government's deep concern over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, and seek urgent and sustained actions by your government this month to reverse this trajectory," Austin and Blinken wrote, according to a purported copy of the letter posted on social media by an Axios reporter.

"We are particularly concerned that recent actions by the Israeli government – including halting commercial imports, denying or impeding nearly 90 percent of humanitarian movements between northern and southern Gaza in September, continuing burdensome and excessive dual use restrictions, and instituting new vetting and onerous liability and customs requirements for humanitarian staff and shipments – together with increased lawlessness and looting – are contributing to an accelerated deterioration in the conditions in Gaza," they added.

The amount of international assistance that has entered Gaza since Israel promised to increase deliveries in March and April has dropped by over 50%, and in September deliveries fell to their lowest point in a year, Austin and Blinken wrote.

The officials said their departments "must" under US law "continually assess your government's adherence to" Israel's promises not to obstruct US and US-supported international aid.

They called on Israel to surge all international assistance throughout Gaza ahead of winter, including by allowing a minimum of 350 trucks to enter the coastal territory per day, and ensuring that commercial corridors and those run by Jordan operate at "full and continuous capacity."

The letter further called on Israel to "end the isolation of northern Gaza" by reaffirming that Israel will not force Palestinian civilians to evacuate to the south, and ensuring that humanitarian groups "have continuous access" to the north.

Israel has dramatically increased its attacks on northern Gaza in recent days, killing scores of Palestinian civilians and ordering them to flee. Many who have attempted to do so have reported coming under Israeli attack.

Austin and Blinken said it is "vitally important" that the US and Israel establish a "new channel" to discuss what they called "civilian harm incidents," saying their "engagements to date have not produced the necessary outcomes." They asked that the first meeting of that mechanism take place by the end of this month.