**Biden Administration Pressures Israel to Enhance Humanitarian Aid to Gaza**

The Biden-Harris administration has issued a 30-day ultimatum to Israel, demanding concrete steps to improve humanitarian aid efforts in Gaza, with a warning that US military assistance could be suspended if the situation doesn't improve. This announcement was made through an October 13 letter from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin addressed to the Israeli military.

Reports from Israeli media reveal that the letter mandates Israel to increase the delivery of humanitarian aid supplies to Gaza by winter, create a new delivery route through Jordan, and address the "isolation" affecting northern Gaza. The US is insisting that Israel allows at least 350 aid trucks daily to enter the Gaza Strip using all four border crossings while creating a fifth crossing point.

President Biden has been vocal about his growing frustration over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, a concern that resonates deeply among Democratic voters, particularly younger demographics, as Election Day approaches. According to American officials, the quantity of aid entering Gaza has significantly decreased since April, despite Israel's assurances in March to keep food and supplies flowing.

Vice President Kamala Harris, on the same day the letter was sent, reinforced this stance by urging Israel to facilitate more aid to Gaza, highlighting reports from the UN World Food Programme about halted deliveries to the region. “Israel must urgently do more to facilitate the flow of aid to those in need," she emphasized on social media.

The letter to Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant comes amidst intense fighting in northern Gaza and concerns from humanitarian groups about the effects of a reported Israeli plan to cut off aid to the area. This plan has been critiqued as potentially punitive to civilians, including refugees repeatedly displaced by the conflict between Israel and Hamas. UN humanitarian coordinator Muhannad Hadi condemned any military strategy that could deprive civilians of essential survival resources.

Despite Israeli denials of hindering aid, and claims that 30 trucks loaded with food from the UN entered Gaza recently, UN officials maintain that the existing aid volume is insufficient to support the over 1 million refugees affected by the conflict. James Elder from UNICEF described the current restrictions as among the worst seen in any humanitarian crisis.

The urgency is underscored by rising scrutiny over Israel's military operations following an airstrike near a hospital in northern Gaza, which led to a deadly fire at a refugee camp. The ongoing conflict, which has claimed over 42,000 lives in Gaza, mostly civilians according to the Hamas-run health ministry, remains a central issue as the US pressures Israel to uphold international humanitarian standards and ensure aid delivery to those in need.