Politico also reported that one of the staffers resigned after signing the letter in objection to the US administration’s policy concerning Israel.
Around 20 White House staffers have criticized United States President Joe Biden for not enforcing an ultimatum on Israel to take “concrete measures” to improve humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip or face potential restrictions on arms provisions, Politico reported.
“You are running out of time to do the right thing, but decisive action could save precious lives in the next two months,” the staffers wrote, according to a letter obtained by the American news outlet.
According to Politico, the staffers who signed the letter – on condition of anonymity for fear of career retribution – work across the White House executive office of the president but are not directly involved in Middle East policy.
“One thing that drew me into this was legacy,” a senior White House staffer who signed the letter told Politico, stressing that, “if the course is continued, it will be a legacy of horror.”
White House Staffers to Biden: “You Are Running Out of Time” on Gaza https://t.co/rSR2Z5CtAN by @ShawnMusgrave https://t.co/rSR2Z5CtAN
— The Intercept (@theintercept) November 19, 2024
Although the White House staffers acknowledge that Biden’s term is nearing its end, they maintain that American military support to Israel violates several federal statutes, namely the Conventional Arms Transfer Policy, the Foreign Assistance Act, and the Leahy Laws, according to Politico.
Politico also reported that one of the staffers resigned after signing the letter in objection to the US administration’s policy concerning Israel.
A White House National Security Council Spokesperson dismissed the notion that no action is being taken, saying it is “not at all accurate.”
The spokesperson, who preferred anonymity to discuss internal policymaking, claimed that the US has received “some humanitarian commitments from Israel in response to its demands and that it has seen some improvement to the humanitarian situation in Gaza.”
This letter is the latest in a series of documents questioning the legality of US weapon provisions to Israel during its war on Gaza.
SCOOP: At least 20 White House staffers sent a letter condemning the Biden admin’s failure to enforce its own ultimatum to Israel regarding humanitarian aid to Gaza
The internal protest is believed to be the first from within the WH. But will it matter? https://t.co/cYqdrGZHTA
— Joseph Gedeon (@JGedeon1) November 18, 2024
US Claims Vs. UN Report
The US State Department announced on November 12 that it has concluded Israel is not obstructing humanitarian aid to the besieged Gaza Strip and, therefore, is not violating US law, Reuters news agency reported.
Despite US claims, the United Nations has warned that the amount of aid reaching Gaza has dropped to its lowest level in a year.
A recent UN-backed report highlighted the imminent risk of famine in northern Gaza, where almost no aid has been delivered over the past month.
‘Gravest Crimes’ – UN Condemns Dehumanization of Gaza Civilians
Joyce Msuya, the United Nations Acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, stated that international crimes are being committed in Gaza.
During a briefing to United Nations Council members on Tuesday, Msuya reported that Israeli authorities are preventing humanitarian assistance from reaching North Gaza, where fighting continues.
She noted that 75,000 people remain in the area, struggling with dwindling supplies.
Ongoing Genocide
Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza.
Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7.
Palestinians ‘Starving while World Watches On’ – UN Describes ‘Deadly Conditions’ in Northern Gaza
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 43,985 Palestinians have been killed, and 104,092 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7, 2023.
Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine, mostly in northern Gaza, resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.
LIVE BLOG: Hezbollah Drone Hits Israeli Military Camp | Massacre in Jabaliya – Day 411
The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.
Later in the war, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians began moving from the south to central Gaza in a constant search for safety.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
