US says Israel hasn't breached its law against blocking aid in Gaza

In the northern part of Gaza, two Palestinians are seen pulling carts through a devastated area in Gaza City. The United States has announced that Israel has not violated any American laws regarding the blocking of aid supplies. This statement follows a 30-day deadline that the US had given to Israel to enhance the access of humanitarian aid into Gaza. If Israel failed to comply, it risked facing cuts to some military assistance. On Tuesday, officials indicated that Israel has taken several steps to meet the US demands to increase the flow of supplies into Gaza, but they also emphasized that further progress is necessary. Vedant Patel, a spokesperson for the State Department, highlighted the opening of a new land crossing and the resumption of aid deliveries in the northern region. However, he did not confirm whether any aid had reached the besieged Jabalia refugee camp. Despite the US's assertions, the United Nations has raised alarms that the volume of aid entering Gaza is at its lowest level in a year. A recent report backed by the UN warned of an imminent risk of famine in northern Gaza, where hardly any aid has been delivered in the past month. Joyce Msuya, the acting undersecretary general for humanitarian affairs at the United Nations, stated that international crimes are being committed in Gaza. On Tuesday, she briefed council members at the United Nations, reporting that Israeli authorities are obstructing humanitarian assistance from reaching North Gaza, where fighting continues. She mentioned that there are still 75,000 people in that area who are running out of essential supplies. Last month, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a 30-day ultimatum to Israel to ensure that more aid trucks could reach Gaza on a daily basis. That deadline expired on Tuesday. A letter was sent to the Israeli government urging them to end the isolation of the besieged northern region, where aid organizations have warned that civilians are being starved amid Israel's military operations. A coalition of eight humanitarian aid agencies expressed their concerns about the situation. However, the US's response on Tuesday suggests that Washington will continue to provide military support to its ally, despite growing warnings from aid organizations about the civilians who are being killed and displaced by Israel's offensive in the north. The Israeli military, on the other hand, claims that it has been successfully countering a resurgence of Hamas in the area. Israel asserts that it has significantly increased the amount of aid entering Gaza and accuses aid agencies of failing to distribute it effectively. In Beit Hanoun, which was under siege for more than a month, Ms. Msuya reported that food and water reached shelters on Monday, only for Israeli soldiers to forcibly displace people from those areas on Tuesday. Ilze Kehris, the assistant secretary general for human rights at the UN, stated that the pattern and frequency of Israel's attacks suggest a systematic targeting of civilians. Much of the death and destruction in Gaza has been attributed to US weapons, which were provided to Israel to assist in the fight against Hamas. Israel launched its campaign to dismantle Hamas following the group's attack in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in approximately 1,200 fatalities and 251 individuals being taken hostage. Since that time, more than 43,000 people have lost their lives in Gaza, according to the health ministry controlled by Hamas in the territory.