From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, November 12, 2024
US said to decide not to withhold weapons from Israel, deeming progress on Gaza aid adequate
Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has reportedly decided against withholding weapons from Israel for the time being ahead of tomorrow’s deadline for Jerusalem to significantly address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Two US officials tell Axios that important steps have been taken by Israel to address the crisis, while stressing that they expect to see more done in the coming days.
On October 13, the Biden administration sent Israel a letter warning that Jerusalem could be out of compliance with US law that bars the transfer of offensive weapons to countries that block the delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians in conflict zones. The letter gave Israel 30 days to take a series of steps that would alleviate the mounting humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.
But following Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential election last week, the Biden administration saw its leverage over Israel wane considerably, given that the president-elect would likely reverse any holds on weapon transfers to Israel upon returning to office in just over two months.
