Israel Misses U.S. 30-Day Deadline on Gaza Aid; Aid Groups Issue Failing Grade

Nov 12, 2024, 02:49 PM

International aid organizations report that Israel has failed to meet the 19 U.S. demands outlined in an October 13 letter from Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza. The U.S. had given Israel a 30-day deadline to significantly increase aid access or face potential restrictions on military assistance. Despite the deadline expiring, Blinken announced that there would be no change to military assistance to Israel for now. Israel's security cabinet approved measures and opened the Kissufim crossing to increase the flow of aid into Gaza, but aid groups, in a joint statement, gave Israel a failing grade. They state that conditions in Gaza are worse than at any point in the 13-month-old war, with parts of northern Gaza nearing famine. Humanitarian agencies assert that Israel not only failed to meet U.S. criteria but took actions that worsened the situation.