U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin have warned Israel that if it does not allow the transfer of American humanitarian aid to Gaza within 30 days, the U.S. may halt military assistance. The message was delivered to Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer through an official document.
The American officials threatened to invoke a national security memorandum issued in March which set conditions for continued U.S. military support to Israel, including allowing unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid. Despite recent claims by Israel that it is not preventing aid, including the entry of 30 trucks of food into northern Gaza on Monday, the U.S. remains concerned about restrictions.
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US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
(Photo: REUTERS/Nathan Howard, Haim Goldberg)
Washington has demanded concrete steps from Israel within 30 days, warning that failure to comply could impact future military aid. This comes as the U.S. continues to delay shipments of heavy bombs to Israel.
However, the Pentagon confirmed that components for the THAAD missile defense system began arriving in Israel, with U.S. troops expected to operate the system as part of preparations for a potential Iranian response to future Israeli strikes.
Pentagon Press Secretary Pat Ryder said that the THAAD system will be fully operational soon, but did not provide a specific timeline due to security concerns. The deployment follows Israel’s request for additional U.S. military assets to bolster regional security.
THAAD missile defense system in action
(Video: Reuters)
Meanwhile, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced in parliament that Italy has frozen all arms and munitions contracts with Israel since October 7. This follows an incident where Israeli forces fired at a UNIFIL position in southern Lebanon, wounding two people.
Italy's defense minister called the attack a "war crime," prompting IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi to speak with his Italian counterpart, Gen. Luciano Portolano, about the security situation and Hezbollah’s use of positions near UNIFIL posts for terrorist activities.
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