U.S. Sends Urgent Warning to Israel Over Humanitarian Aid in Gaza
The Biden administration issued a stark warning to Israel over the weekend, indicating that if the country fails to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to the nearly two million individuals trapped in Gaza within a 30-day timeframe, it could face a potential cutoff of military aid. This ultimatum was communicated through a letter signed by Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III and Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, rather than President Biden himself. The letter was directed to Israel’s Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallant, and Minister of Strategic Affairs, Ron Dermer.
Some aides noted that the decision to omit President Biden’s name from the correspondence might serve to protect Vice President Kamala Harris, who, as the Democratic nominee for president, has been navigating a delicate political landscape. She has refrained from issuing any overt threats to Israel while simultaneously advocating for a swift end to the conflict, primarily to mitigate the “heartbreaking” loss of Palestinian lives.
This written warning arrives just three weeks prior to the upcoming U.S. presidential election. During this campaign period, certain progressive factions within the Democratic Party have been vocal about their belief that both President Biden and Vice President Harris should exert more pressure on Israel to minimize civilian casualties amid its military operations in Gaza.
The letter was made public on Tuesday morning, coinciding with a day after Vice President Harris emphasized in a social media post the necessity for Israel to enhance its efforts in permitting aid into Gaza. On that day, she campaigned in Michigan, a critical battleground state that is home to a significant population of Muslim and Arab American voters, many of whom are increasingly discontented with how the Biden-Harris administration has managed Israel’s military offensive in Gaza. Harris is set to return to Michigan for further campaigning on Thursday and Friday.
As for Israel’s response, it remains uncertain how Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will react to the letter. However, the timeline of the letter’s deadline, which falls after the U.S. presidential election, could afford Netanyahu a strategic opportunity to wait and see whether he will be engaging with Harris or potentially with Donald J. Trump come January.