ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:
Israel has allowed a trickle of aid into Gaza this week, and the U.S. says it is not enough. The Biden administration is threatening to withhold some military aid to Israel unless that changes, as NPR's Michele Kelemen reports.
MICHELE KELEMEN, BYLINE: At a Security Council meeting, a top United Nations aid official painted a grim picture of northern Gaza. Joyce Msuya says that Jabalia refugee camp is under siege.
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JOYCE MSUYA: The images emerging from the camp show a traumatized population running for their lives with no safe place to go.
KELEMEN: U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield is alarmed about that, too.
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LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD: A quote-unquote "policy of starvation" in northern Gaza would be horrific and unacceptable and would have implications under international law and U.S. law.
KELEMEN: She says the Israeli government told the U.S. that this is not their policy.
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THOMAS-GREENFIELD: And we will be watching to see that Israel's actions match this statement.
KELEMEN: Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin have written a letter to the Israeli spelling out some specific changes that they expect over the next month. U.S. military aid could be withheld if the Israelis don't act. Israel's ambassador to the U.N., Danny Danon, is shifting the blame to Hamas.
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DANNY DANON: The problem in Gaza is not lack of aid. The problem is Hamas, which hijacks the aid, stealing, storing and selling it to feed their terror machine while civilians suffer.
KELEMEN: That's an oversimplification says Scott Anderson, who's with the U.N. in Gaza. He says there's organized crime and no security.
SCOTT ANDERSON: There needs to be a solution that will allow trucks to move freely without being shot at by looters or being looted or being intimidated.
KELEMEN: And he says that's urgent now as winter approaches. He says Palestinians need tents, clothing and food.
Michele Kelemen, NPR News, the State Department.
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