Biden Administration Warns Israel on Weapons Supply if Gaza Humanitarian Aid Doesn't Flow
October 15, 2024
5:52 PM
Reading time: 3 minutes
The Biden administration issued a warning to Israel on Sunday that the flow of US-built weapons and ammunition to the IDF could be cut off if the flow of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip in the next thirty days. The warning is based on assessments by senior administration officials including US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who sent a letter to Israel's Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer declaring that there has been a significant lowering of the volume of aid entering the Strip in the last few months.
The assessment calls into question Israel's compliance with a National Security Memorandum (NSM) issued by US President Joe Biden in February, which is binding on all users of US-manufactured defense equipment, according to the letter.
“To reverse the downward humanitarian trajectory and consistent with its assurances to us, Israel must — starting now and within 30 days — act on the following concrete measures,” the letter says, before listing several recommendations. “Failure to demonstrate a sustained commitment to implementing and maintaining these measures may have implications for U.S. policy under NSM-20 and relevant U.S. law.”