The cogs of US diplomacy are grinding. But they are turning neither far nor fast, and the people of Gaza are dying now. The World Health Organization says starvation is killing children in the north. The UN has warned that over a quarter of the territory’s population are one step away from famine.
In this context, the US airdrops that began last weekend offer such trivial relief that they verge upon the insulting. They are usually a last resort for delivery into hostile environments; this time the impediment to aid is a US ally that is itself dependent on US aid.
Washington’s inching towards stronger rhetoric looks equally detached from facts on the ground, where more than 30,000 have been killed, according to Gazan health authorities. The belated tough talking has been left to the vice-president, Kamala Harris. On Sunday she urged the case for an immediate six-week ceasefire and hostage release, the opening of crossings and an increase in the flow of aid: “No excuses.” Joe Biden tweeted that he would “not let up” in pushing for a such a deal and aid – but unlike Ms Harris, he did not name Israel.
As the US has acknowledged, the drops are no substitute for new entry points and large convoys. The amounts delivered are minimal; they serve the strong, not those most in need; they can put those they are supposed to save in danger. The longer Israel’s offensive continues, the more security deteriorates and desperation grows. The killing of more than 100 people at an aid distribution point last week, when frantic crowds gathered around trucks and Israeli troops opened fire, demands a full and independent investigation. But these deaths could have been foreseen.
The opening of more aid routes is essential, especially for the north, and more aid needs to flow. Israeli authorities are still turning whole trucks back when a single item fails to meet their approval. Donors, including the US and the UK, should also resume aid to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, as the EU has partially done, after suspending it over Israel’s claims that some employees were involved in the 7 October atrocities, for which UN investigators are awaiting evidence. Large‑scale relief efforts in Gaza are impossible without the agency.
And however much aid is being delivered, needs will multiply as the conflict continues. Though the US has suggested that Israel is close to accepting a time-limited ceasefire deal, Hamas has yet to produce a list of hostages for release, and the continuance of the war is key to Benjamin Netanyahu’s hopes of survival. It is no secret that the US would rather deal with a government led by Benny Gantz, a member of the war cabinet and Mr Netanyahu’s political rival. But officials let it be known that the minister’s White House meeting with Ms Harris on Monday was at his instigation. They are stuck with the current prime minister.
Whether the US administration’s shifting stance has any more effect at home remains to be seen. The election is eight months away and the polls look increasingly alarming for Mr Biden. The airdrops and scolding began days after 100,000 Democrats in Michigan voted uncommitted instead of backing the president in the state’s primary. It’s hard to believe they’ll win back many of those voters as Mr Netanyahu threatens a full-scale assault on Rafah and the US continues to supply the weapons used to create the disaster that it condemns.
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