The US has warned Israel that it may stop military aid to the Jewish state if the Gaza Strip does not receive sufficient humanitarian aid, the newspaper writes. "Guardian", quoted by BTA.
The publication notes that according to the text of the private letter in which the warning is issued and whose authors are the US Secretary of State and Defense Secretary Anthony Blinken and Lloyd Austin, Israel may become the subject of punitive measures from Washington, including a potential suspension of arms supplies in order to force the Jewish state to allow greater flows of humanitarian aid to reach the Palestinian enclave.
The newspaper comments that strategists from the ruling US Democratic Party fear that dissatisfaction with the events in Gaza could affect the results of Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris in the November 5 White House elections, and in particular her support in the crucial state of Michigan, where a large Arab community lives, and that he could be lost to Republican candidate Donald Trump.
The letter expressed disappointment that Washington-funded aid to the Palestinian enclave was being delayed at Gaza border crossings and that humanitarian supplies to the war-torn Gaza Strip had dropped by more than 50%, despite Israel promising in March to allow greater flows of essential goods to the population. The US has repeatedly called for increased humanitarian aid to the enclave, but these appeals often remain a voice in the wilderness due to their neglect by the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
David Cameron planned sanctions against two Israeli ministers - would they have worked, writes another British publication "Independent", referring to an interview of the former Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom from the Tories with BBC radio.
The publication commented that in an incredibly frank conversation with the British public media, Lord Cameron revealed that as head of the Florin Office in the government of Rishi Sunak, he had prepared sanctions against two members of the Israeli cabinet in protest against the way the war in Gaza is being fought.
Specifically, we are talking about Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Homeland Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who are exponents of extreme nationalist sentiments in Netanyahu's government, and their public statements often contradict generally accepted rules of engagement, the inviolability of human rights, and UN resolutions.
Smotrich, for example, has said that it would be "moral and justified" to stop food aid to Gaza, and Ben-Gwir is an ardent supporter of the expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, which are illegal under international law; Ben-Gwir has also made statements that are highly provocative to Arab public opinion. In the interview, Cameron indicated that personal sanctions would be the best way to put pressure on Netanyahu to comply with international law and move towards a ceasefire. But Lord Cameron's revelation also reveals the dilemmas that a succession of British foreign ministers have faced in terms of Middle East policy, notes the "Independent".
Ultimately, the "Sunak" cabinet decided that, although symbolically powerful as a message to the militant elements in the Israeli government, personal sanctions were not capable of achieving as great an effect as the partial arms embargo that the new Labour government subsequently imposed. It is likely that the Tory cabinet's refusal to take the measure was also due to considerations related to the then still upcoming general elections in Britain, and perhaps the opinion of US allies was also sought, adds the "Independent".
American servicemen have arrived in Israel, writes the "Daily Telegraph" and notes that Washington's military has arrived in the Jewish state at a time when it is preparing to exchange strikes with Iran.
The publication refers to yesterday's announcement by the Pentagon that US military personnel have arrived in Israel to service the THAAD missile defense system, whose deployment on Israeli soil was announced by the United States a few days ago. The battery, which will be deployed, will be serviced by a total of about 100 American soldiers, and the goal is to help defend Israel at the current critical moment, when the Jewish state is racing against time to replenish its depleted stock of interceptor missiles.
For the press on the other side of the ocean, the leading international topic is Washington's warning about a possible suspension of military aid to Israel.
"The Washington Post" commented that such a threat is a clear signal of increasing pressure on Israel and of the extremely tense relations between the US and the Jewish state, relations that are characterized by close coordination along the lines of Israel's ongoing military response to the attack by the Palestinian movement "Hamas" since October 7 last year, but also with great tension because of the way the Jewish state is waging the war.
This warning is also issued at a delicate moment, when concerns are growing in Washington about the increasing instability in the Middle East, especially now against the backdrop of Israel's new campaign, this time against the Lebanese Shiite movement "Hezbollah", which is supported by Iran, the publication adds.
"The New York Times" notes that in recent weeks, US and UN officials have warned that the situation in Gaza has worsened further, especially in the northern parts of the enclave, amid increasing restrictions imposed by Israel on aid deliveries.
Influential business publications such as "The Wall Street Journal" and "Financial Times" are also paying serious attention to the topic of Washington's warning to the Jewish state about arms transfers, as according to the American newspaper this is the most severe threat made by the US to Israel since the start of the war last year, and according to the British one this is simply an expression of the growing dissatisfaction in President Joe Biden's team with the way Israel's war in Gaza is being waged.