What comes after the US deadline for Israel to improve access to aid to Gaza?

When the deadline set by the United States expires for Israel to improve the humanitarian and relief situation in the Gaza Strip, and Israel opens the Kissufim railway for the first time for aid trucks to go- into the Struggle, questions are being raised about whether the step represents a change in Israel’s approach to aid, or whether it would have continued, in response to a request from the American administration.

On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that Israel “has implemented most of the measures requested by the United States to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza,” stressing that the steps that “continue.”

Blinken believed that “the challenge in bringing commercial trucks back into Gaza is exploding and stealing. ” He also pointed out that “Israel will allow residents to return to the areas where it ends its military operations inside Gaza.”

This came after the United States announced, on Tuesday, that the policy of the administration of President Joe Biden had not changed towards Israel, after the deadline for a month given to Israel ended the to improve the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.

Discussing the developments related to America’s deadline for Israel, and the recent steps to improve the difficult humanitarian conditions in the besieged Palestinian Strip, former advisor to the US State Department, David Phillips, in statements to Al-Hurra TV. the opening of the “Kissufim” crossing for the first time to bring humanitarian aid trucks into the Gaza Strip, it was a “frightening response” from the Israeli authorities, “and it does not fulfill the desired results.”

Phillips believed that the humanitarian aid that went into the northern Gaza Strip was “not enough to meet the needs of the people there to survive,” explaining that this aid was “subject to security constraints .”

The aid convoy that entered through the Kissufim crossing included “food, water, medical equipment, and supplies designated for shelter centers,” and headed to the central and southern regions of the Gaza Strip, which according to the Coordinator of Israeli Government Activities in Palestine. Lands.

The Israeli army explained that the trucks “underwent a security check at the Kerem Shalom crossing by inspectors associated with the Land Routes Authority of the Israeli Ministry of Defense before entering Gaza.”

For his part, former Israeli diplomat Meir Cohen said in his interview with Al-Hurra TV that his country “did not attack the Gaza Strip,” adding: “In fact, the opposite happened.”

He continued: “Israel does not commit any atrocities against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip. Despite the terrorist attacks by Hamas that remind us of Nazism, the government rushed to provide all the food and medicine that was needed during the war.”

He emphasized that his country “does not want a repeat (of the October 7 attacks), especially since Hamas leaders said they would do it again when they had the chance.”

Cohen refused to discuss the opening of the Kissufim across the “terrible response” to the requests of the US administration to support the residents of northern Gaza, within a deadline of a month that ended on Tuesday.

He explained that Israel is “ready to cooperate with any American administration to help the people in Gaza, but the problem is that Hamas is seizing this aid to to sell at the highest prices, and use the money to make rehabilitation and armaments.”

In response to what Cohen said, Phillips said: “Opening the crossing is an important step, but providing humanitarian aid alone is a bad place for peace.”

He said “without a real peace process, we will not see real progress in the humanitarian situation in Gaza.”

Phillips said that “the minority security council in Israel is trying to evacuate northern Gaza from the population and extend control over Israeli forces there.” This may provide a temporary solution, but it will not guarantee long-term peace.”

He believed that “aid provides a simple treatment and is not a complete solution,” as he said.

US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller confirmed on Tuesday that Secretary Anthony Blinken, on Monday, discussed with Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer “the steps Israel has taken to improve the dire humanitarian situation inside Gaza,” in response to the letter sent by Blinken. and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on October 13.

The United States had given Israel 30 days, starting on October 13, to deliver aid to Gaza.

In the meeting that took place between them in Washington, Minister Dermer informed Blinken about the “operational changes” made by the Israel Defense Forces and the Government Coordination Unit in the Low Countries, as well as the political decisions made by the Israeli government to respond to the measures contained in the letter of the US Secretaries of State and Defense.

On whether US President Donald Trump’s administration can end the war in the Gaza Strip, Phillips said: “I don’t think he will be able to implement a two-state solution, and I don’t think the Prime Minister of Israel. Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will support him with that. “

He emphasized the need for “international mediation leading to a direct solution, represented by the two-state solution. “

For his part, Cohen expressed his hope that the level of aid entering the Strip will increase in the coming days, saying: “Netanyahu recently met, for the second time, with co -United Nations aid coordinator, Sigrid Kaag.”

He also said that the meeting saw the presentation of the plan put forward by Israel to increase the entry of aid, saying: “We hope that this plan will be enough to meet the needs of the residents there.”