Antony Blinken makes clear to Israel that steps so far to increase aid in Gaza are insufficient

TEL AVIV — Israeli leaders told Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday that it is not Israel’s policy to isolate northern Gaza, a senior State Department official said, even as the United Nations reported its requests to bring desperately needed humanitarian assistance to the area continued to be denied.

“This includes planned missions by U.N. agencies and our partners to deliver lifesaving supplies — including blood, essential medications, food parcels and fuel to hospitals and water facilities,” Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the U.N. secretary-general, said at a daily news briefing.

The importance of increasing humanitarian aid to Gaza was a “prominent topic” in Blinken’s discussions with Israeli officials, according to the senior official, and Israeli officials recognized the level of U.S. concern.

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In a letter this month, Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin gave Israel 30 days to increase basic humanitarian aid to Gaza or risk restrictions on U.S. military assistance as required under U.S. law.

At Tuesday’s meetings, Israeli officials laid out the actions taken in response to the letter, the senior State Department official said. Blinken said that the U.S. had seen initial progress in certain areas but that “the steps that are taken thus far have not been sufficient.” Blinken made it clear that the U.S. needs to see more action, the official said.

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On Monday, 114 trucks crossed into Gaza from Kerem Shalom and the Erez West crossing, according to the State Department. It was not immediately clear what assistance reached the population.

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Israel told Blinken it was doing everything it could to undertake the concrete actions the Biden administration laid out in the letter. “We take those commitments seriously. It’s the results that matter,” the senior administration official said, adding, “We expect to see action and sustained action on this within 30 days.”

The readout Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office issued after the meeting made no mention of humanitarian assistance.