US Won't Pause Arm Shipments to Israel Over Aid Demands

Improve the News Foundation -

Facts

  • The US said on Tuesday that it would not suspend arms shipments to Israel or change policy after a 30-day deadline to increase humanitarian aid entering the strip expired. The Biden admin. said that Israel was not blocking aid and progress had been made, though more must be done.[1][2]
  • The US originally called for at least 350 trucks of aid to enter Gaza per day, the expansion of the humanitarian zone in al-Mawasi, and the implementation of pauses in military operations to facilitate aid delivery. Israel said it allowed 76 trucks of aid into Gaza per day on average, though aid groups have reported a lower number.[3]
  • Aid groups working in Gaza and the UN indicated that the other two demands were either ignored or only partially fulfilled. As the deadline passes, residents of northern Gaza who fled south reported a lack of food and that people were starving to death.[1]
  • The Biden admin. said that it was not "giving Israel a pass," adding that the US would be following the situation closely. Aid organizations said that the humanitarian situation in northern Gaza — where Israel launched a major offensive last month — has only become more dire.[4]
  • International organizations have warned of the high risk of famine in Gaza — something that Israel has denied, pointing to distribution problems. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said that the UN, International Criminal Court (ICC), and International Court of Justice (ICJ) sought to strip Israel of the right to self-defense.[5]
  • Israeli outlet Haaretz reported earlier this week that aid workers that armed clans in areas of Rafah under Israeli military control have looted convoys and extorted drivers for protection money. The Israeli military has reportedly refrained from intervening, fearing harm caused to aid workers could provoke international criticism.[6]

Sources: [1]CNN, [2]Al Jazeera, [3]Reuters, [4]Associated Press, [5]The Jerusalem Post and [6]Haaretz.

Narratives

  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by NBC. Israel's war against Hamas is surely just, given the atrocities the group committed during its Oct. 7 attack. However, Israel must take into account the innocent civilians in Gaza who are trapped between Israel's military machine and Hamas' terrorist fighters. Humanitarian aid entering the strip must be significantly increased, and the US will continue to push Israel in the right direction.
  • Pro-Israel narrative, as provided by The New Republic. The media continues to spread baseless lies of famine in Gaza. More than enough aid is entering the strip, and the real problem, as always, is Hamas. The terror group has worked to control aid movements through Gaza, harming the civilian population. If the US wants to help end the suffering of Palestinians in the strip, it must support Israel's goal of crushing Hamas.
  • Pro-Palestine narrative, as provided by +972 Magazine. Israel's true goal in northern Gaza is to starve and exterminate the civilian population so that the region is never inhabited by Palestinians again, paving the way for Israeli settlers. Israeli politicians and military officials have been clear about the country's genocidal goals, yet the media continues to ignore their horrifying ambitions. This is a campaign of mass extermination that has received the full backing of the US.