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October 16, 2024

U.S. Threatens to Cut Military Assistance If Israel Keeps Withholding Aid for Gaza
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Oxfam and over 35 other humanitarian groups have issued a dire warning
about Israel's siege on northern Gaza. In a statement, the groups said,
"The Israeli forces' assault on Gaza has escalated to a horrifying level
of atrocity. Northern Gaza is being wiped off the map." Israel has
barred nearly all food into the area, while attacks on displaced people
continue.

Meanwhile, the Biden administration has sent Israel a written warning
that the U.S. may cut off military assistance if Israel does not boost
humanitarian aid access to Gaza within the next 30 days. Secretary of
State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin wrote, "We are
now writing to underscore the U.S. government's deep concern over the
deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, and seek urgent and
sustained actions by your government this month to reverse this
trajectory."
The Biden administration has continued to arm Israel despite findings by
its own experts at USAID and the State Department that Israel has
routinely impeded delivery of food and medicine to Gaza, in violation of
U.S. law. On Tuesday, State Department spokesperson Matt Miller faced
numerous questions about U.S. policy. This is Reuters journalist Humeyra
Pamuk.

Humeyra Pamuk: "Given you are already saying humanitarian assistance is
very low, and putting in front of Israel a bunch of concrete measures on
how to improve it, why are you waiting for another 30 days to implement
the law?"

Matthew Miller: "Because we believe it's appropriate to give them a
chance to cure the problem."

Humeyra Pamuk: "Other outlets have reported that - Reuters has reported
all the way back in April that officials from this department have
assessed in internal memos that Israel, quote, 'is persistently and
arbitrarily impeding aid in Gaza.' So, if the law is already being,
like, I mean - if it's already doing it, why is the United States
waiting?"

Matthew Miller: "So, first of all, that has not - so, we've been over
this before, I know, from this podium. There are people that reach that
conclusion, and there are people inside this building who reach the
opposite conclusion. So I think it's important to state that for the
record."



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