U.S.-Israel Humanitarian Assessment: Progress Amidst Controversy

The Biden administration concluded Israel is not hindering Gaza aid, despite a challenging humanitarian situation. Aid groups, however, claim Israel failed to meet U.S. demands by the deadline. Hamas criticized Washington's stance, accusing it of enabling Israeli actions. Blinken stressed that Israel must implement measures with tangible ground results.

The Biden administration has determined that Israel is not obstructing humanitarian aid to Gaza, with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasizing a need for tangible regional improvements following Washington's intervention. The U.S. maintains that Israel's failure to advance these initiatives could impact American military aid.

Contradicting this conclusion, eight international aid organizations, including Oxfam and Save the Children, reported that Israel did not satisfy the requirements imposed by a U.S. deadline. Hamas denounced the U.S. assessment as backing Israeli actions, attributing extensive Gazan casualties to the ongoing conflict.

Despite Israel's reported measures, such as opening crossings and custom relaxations, the humanitarian situation remains critical. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller noted that the current on-ground results in Gaza are inadequate, calling for more significant Israeli efforts.

(With inputs from agencies.)