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Israel has made progress on Gaza aid but more needs to be done: Lloyd Austin
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin has reiterated that though Israel has made “some progress” on allowing aid into Gaza, “more needs to be made”, as a US-imposed deadline to improve the humanitarian situation in the besieged enclave approaches.
In a letter sent to Israel dated October 13, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Austin said Israel must take steps in the next 30 days to improve Gaza’s humanitarian situation or face potential restrictions on US military aid.
It stipulated that Israel must enable a minimum of 350 trucks to enter Gaza per day, put in place pauses in fighting to allow aid delivery and rescind civilian evacuation orders when there is no operational need.
The UN warned again on Thursday that “the entire population in north Gaza is at imminent risk of dying from disease, famine and violence” due to Israel’s weeks-long besiegement of the area.
"some progress"... There was a brief spike on October 30th of 120 trucks, but right after the avg is down to 50 daily at best again.
There might be another little 'spike' at the 'deadline' then the US can ignore it again.
UN aid official presses Netanyahu on aid to Gaza, Palestinians
Sigrid Kaag, the UN’s humanitarian aid representative for Gaza, met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address the urgent need for humanitarian aid to reach Palestinians in the war-torn territory.
Kaag “raised measures that require urgent implementation to address the dramatic humanitarian situation in Gaza and underlined the UN’s position regarding UNRWA”, a UN spokesperson said on Thursday.
Israel’s military has imposed a blockade of Gaza since October 2023, denying the unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid to the war-torn enclave and causing severe shortages of food, medicine and clean water for the territory’s population.
The severity of Israel’s restrictions on food and other humanitarian assistance to the civilian population of Gaza has been described as an Israeli state policy to ” weaponise ” hunger in the Palestinian territory.
Israel’s parliament also voted on October 28 to ban the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), which the UN and aid groups have described as a catastrophe for the people of Gaza and Palestinian communities in need in the occupied West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem.
Israeli siege denying food, water to as many as 95,000 in north Gaza, UN warns
UN associate spokesperson Stephanie Tremblay said Israel’s military is preventing food and water from entering besieged northern Gaza where an estimated 75,000 to 95,000 Palestinians are trapped and in need of supplies for their survival.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Tremblay said the only UN assistance Israel has allowed into the north since the beginning of its siege a month ago has been hospital supplies during medical evacuation missions.
Israeli bombardments and ground operations are also preventing humanitarian workers from reaching people in need, she said.
At least 75,000 Palestinians in north Gaza need immediate aid: UN
The United Nations humanitarian office says Israel’s monthlong offensive in northern Gaza is preventing the estimated 75,000 to 95,000 Palestinians from receiving essential items for their survival.
Israel says it is preparing to open a new aid crossing into Gaza as the deadline for a US deadline to increase desperately needed assistance into the war-ravaged territory approaches.
The Israeli military body handling aid to Gaza, COGAT, said it has built inspection facilities and paved roads around the Kissufim crossing, located near the centre of Gaza.
It says food, aid, and fuel will soon be able to be delivered through the crossing, but did not say when it will open or if aid will be delivered to northern of Gaza, where the UN and aid groups say the humanitarian situation is most severe.
