US hinges military aid to Israel on eased Gaza plight after deploying THAAD

Hot on the heels of deploying Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery components to Israel, Washington suddenly decided the moment was ripe to take the moral high ground.

The US has warned Israel in a letter, jointly written by Antony Blinken and Lloyd Austin, that any further military aid may be at risk if the humanitarian situation in devastated Gaza is not improved.

Addressed to Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, it sets out measures that the US expects Israel to take, including:

🔸 Allowing a minimum of 350 trucks carrying humanitarian aid to enter Gaza per day.

🔸 Opening a new fifth crossing.

🔸 Implementing humanitarian pauses across Gaza to enable humanitarian activities.

🔸 Guaranteeing security for humanitarian convoys and movements.

🔸 Ensuring that the Jordanian Armed Forces corridors operate at full capacity.

🔸 Opening a new channel between the US and Israeli governments to “raise and discuss civilian harm incidents”.

Unless such measures are taken, Israel risks violating US laws governing foreign military assistance, per the letter.

Coincidentally, a day after the letter was sent, Israel’s Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) agency tweeted photos of aid entering Gaza.

The US has spent a record of at least $17.9 billion on military aid to Israel since the war in Gaza began, with another $4.86 billion had been funneled into stepped-up US military operations in the region.

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