Updated 22.09 | Published 22.05
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In the letter from the USA there is a list of demands.
If Israel does not comply, the US will stop sending weapons.
This is described as the clearest ultimatum so far from the US, according to Reuters.
In the four-page long letter that was leaked on Tuesday, signed by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Foreign Minister Antony Blinken, Israel is warned, the New York Times writes.
The letter was sent on Sunday to Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and the Minister of the Israeli Government Department responsible for public diplomacy Ron Dermer.
Austin and Blinken write that the US will withdraw its military support to Israel if it does not allow more humanitarian aid to reach the two million people who remain in Gaza within 30 days.
What Israel must do within a month is detailed in a 15-point list. For example, Israel must ensure that at least 350 trucks per day enter Gaza. Israel must also grant pauses in the fighting to allow the delivery of aid such as vaccines. Before it is winter, people who are in the Mulawi area should also be allowed to get closer to the country.
The letter is the clearest ultimatum so far since the war in Gaza began a year ago, writes Reuters.
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fullscreenAntony Blinken and Benjamin Netanyahu. Photo: Jacquelyn Martin/AP
“Not meant as a threat”
The humanitarian aid in Gaza has decreased by 50 percent, the American ministers write in the letter. September was also the month in which the least aid came into the country.
White House national security spokesman John Kirby said the letter was “not meant as a threat” but emphasized the urgency of increasing humanitarian aid in Gaza, according to Reuters.
An Israeli official in Washington said the letter had been received and was being reviewed, according to the news agency.
“Israel takes this issue seriously and intends to address the concerns raised in this letter with our American counterparts,” the official said, according to Reuters.
Israel a step forward – but not enough
After the letter from the United States, during Tuesday and Wednesday, close to 200 trucks with water and food will cross the border into Gaza, according to the New York Times. However, it is far from enough of what aid organizations say is needed to meet the needs in Gaza, they write.
On Wednesday, Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon also said that they “continue to work with our international partners to ensure that aid reaches those who need it”, according to Reuters.
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full screenGaza at the end of September. Photo: Abdel Kareem Hana / AP