U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters during a trip to Israel that he might support restrictions on military aid to the Jewish state over the purported circumstances of the civilians living in Gaza.
As he prepared to depart for meetings in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, America’s chief diplomat responded, “I will follow the law,” when asked about enforcing Washington’s policy requiring recipients of U.S. defense assistance to adhere to specific humanitarian standards.
Blinken’s remarks follow White House warnings to Jerusalem earlier this month, indicating the IDF risked the suspension of weapons deliveries if the living conditions for Palestinians in the coastal enclave did not improve.
The Secretary brought up the issue this week during discussions with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Following the talks, Blinken stated, “there's progress made, which is good, but more progress needs to be made,” before confirming his organization will be closely monitoring the changes.
Also on Wednesday, the IDF announced that over 230 trucks loaded with food, medicine, and relief-oriented materials had entered northern Gaza in the past nine days.
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