US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has urged Israeli leaders to significantly increase humanitarian aid to civilians in the besieged northern Gaza, warning of potential legal repercussions under US law if no action is taken, according to a senior official in the Biden administration.
On Tuesday, Blinken met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, and senior military officials in a series of discussions held in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
These meetings are part of a regional tour that Washington views as an opportunity to revive diplomacy following Israel’s killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in Gaza last week.
This account of Blinken’s direct message to Israeli leaders comes amid growing criticism that the US has not adequately curbed the civilian death toll in Gaza due to its reluctance to leverage its weapons supplies to Israel.
The official also mentioned that Blinken pressed the Israeli leadership regarding reports that its military has been employing a so-called “generals’ plan” in northern Gaza – a strategy involving the mass forced displacement of civilians and a surrender-or-starve approach for those who remain.
In a letter last week, co-signed by US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, Blinken issued an apparent warning on humanitarian aid. The letter gave the Israeli government 30 days to significantly increase aid to the northern Gaza Strip or face potential cuts to some military assistance.
The senior State Department official stated, “There was extended conversation about this.”
“The steps that have (been) taken thus far have not been sufficient and we made that clear today, that we do need to see more,” they added.
Aid organisations have issued warnings that civilians in northern Gaza face the threat of starvation due to Israel’s military siege.
Israel maintains that its operations target Hamas fighters. However, the United States has cautioned Israel against forcibly relocating residents to the southern part of Gaza, where 1.7 million civilians are confined in dangerously overcrowded conditions, posing a “lethal risk” of disease.
When questioned about whether Blinken explicitly warned Israel of consequences if its demands were not met, an official stated that Blinken “made clear it has implications under our law and policy, (and) what those actions need to be”.
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