The US Calls Israel Has Made Progress On Aid To Gaza, But There Is Still A Lot To Do

Illustration of humanitarian aid convoys in Gaza. (Source: IDF)

JAKARTA - United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said on Thursday Israel had made some progress in providing humanitarian assistance to Gaza, Palestine, but there was still much to be done.

The US notified Israel in a letter last month that it should take steps next month to fix the humanitarian situation in Gaza or face potential restrictions on US military aid.

Although Defense Secretary Austin did not specifically comment on the letter, he said: "They have made some progress, but there is still a lot to be done," Reuters reported on November 8.

Meanwhile, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said at a press conference that the new US-Israel channel to discuss incidents involving civilians is scheduled to be held for the first time in the next week or two, quoted by The Times of Israel.

This is one of the US requests in a letter to Israel on October 13.

In recent days, Israel has reopened the Erez Cross to allow aid to enter northern Gaza and has notified the US it will open a new crossing to central Gaza bordering Kissufim in the coming days, Miller said, adding Israel has also approved several new shipping routes within Gaza to ensure that aid can be delivered to civilians.

Earlier, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Austin wrote to Israeli officials last month demanding concrete action to address the deteriorating situation in the Palestinian enclave.

Failure to do so could affect US policies, the letter said.

The letter outlines specific steps Israel must take within 30 days, including allowing at least 350 trucks to enter Gaza per day, imposing pauses in combat to allow aid delivery and lifting evacuation orders for Palestinian civilians when there is no operational need.