U.S. Will Not Withhold Weapons to Israel Over Humanitarian Aid to Gaza

Latest Developments

• U.S.-Israel Arms Transfer Policy Will Not Change: The Biden administration will not restrict weapons shipments to Israel after determining on November 12 that Israel has made improvements in its provision of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. State Department Deputy spokesman Vedant Patel said during a press briefing that Israel has “taken a number of steps to address the measures laid out” in an October 13 letter that the United States sent to Israel. The letter threatened to cut off U.S. military aid after 30 days if Israel did not take action to increase the flow of humanitarian aid.

• Israel Finds Ammunition in Aid Truck: Israeli inspectors discovered a bag of ammunition inside a truck transporting humanitarian aid through the Gaza Strip on November 10. IDF troops discovered the ammunition during a security screening of an aid convoy coordinated by the international community at an IDF checkpoint along the humanitarian route between northern and southern Gaza. The IDF said that it had been monitoring the convoy and detected “unusual movement,” but did not identify the humanitarian group responsible for the convoy.

• Israel Sends Aid Through New Crossing: COGAT, the Israeli agency tasked with facilitating humanitarian aid into Gaza, said on November 12 that aid trucks began crossing into Gaza through the newly opened Kissufim crossing. The agency also said it had facilitated more than 100 truckloads of aid through the Kerem Shalom and Erez crossings. Still, COGAT noted that approximately 900 truckloads of aid remain on the Gaza side of the Kerem Shalom crossing, waiting for pick-up and delivery by international aid groups.

FDD Expert Response

“The Biden administration made the right call. Israel has facilitated the entry of 56,000 trucks and 1.1 million tons of aid into Gaza since the war began. UN-backed food security experts confirmed major improvements in Gaza in their latest quarterly report. There was a major disruption of aid flows in October, but Israel has helped resolve it.” — David Adesnik, Senior Fellow and Director of Research

“Right now, some 900 trucks with aid await pick-up from humanitarian organizations on the Gaza side. I’m struck by the failure of Arab states and others to hold Hamas accountable — publicly and privately — for thwarting aid waiting to be distributed to Gaza’s population. Imagine if they used their voices to put an end to this. Their near silence is criminal.” — Toby Dershowitz, Managing Director of FDD Action

“The discovery of ammunition in a humanitarian convoy in Gaza provides further evidence of how terrorists seek to exploit humanitarian corridors and convoys in Gaza. Hamas has sought to stay in power by stealing humanitarian aid and by continuing to control areas where humanitarian aid is delivered. Humanitarian organizations that coordinate convoys in Gaza must ensure ammunition and weapons are not being smuggled in their trucks. In addition, the attempt to smuggle ammunition shows how important it is that Israel maintain control over certain areas of Gaza.” — Seth J. Frantzman, Adjunct Fellow