National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who claimed that the Cabinet did not properly vote on increasing humanitarian aid to Gaza, was informed by the Prime Minister's Office that the vote was held at the beginning of the meeting, contrary to the usual procedure.
Ben-Gvir demanded that his objections be added to the minutes of the meeting alongside the support of all other ministers. “Since when are votes held at the beginning of the meeting. That never happens. Votes are always happened at the end. You knew that I would be late to the security meeting. You knew that I would oppose, so you wanted to sneak the vote in at the beginning. What kind of behavior is this? This is how people act to steal critical cabinet votes.”
Last night, the Cabinet authorized the Prime myinister, Defense Minister, and Minister Benny Gantz to take steps to immediately increase humanitarian aid to the civilian population of Gaza.
“This increased humanitarian aid will prevent a disaster and is critical to ensure the continuation of the war and achieving its goals, “ the Prime Minister's office stated.
“In light of this, Israel will allow temporary supply of humanitarian aid through Ashdod and the Erez crossing, as well as increasing Jordanian aid through Kerem Shalom.”
The Cabinet meeting took place a few hours after the conversation between Prime Minister Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden.
The White House published a statement after the conversation saying “President Biden spoke by telephone with Prime Minister Netanyahu. The two leaders discussed the situation in Gaza. President Biden emphasized that the strikes on humanitarian workers and the overall humanitarian situation are unacceptable. He made clear the need for Israel to announce and implement a series of specific, concrete, and measurable steps to address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering, and the safety of aid workers. He made clear that U.S. policy with respect to Gaza will be determined by our assessment of Israel’s immediate action on these steps. He underscored that an immediate ceasefire is essential to stabilize and improve the humanitarian situation and protect innocent civilians, and he urged the Prime Minister to empower his negotiators to conclude a deal without delay to bring the hostages home. The two leaders also discussed public Iranian threats against Israel and the Israeli people. President Biden made clear that the United States strongly supports Israel in the face of those threats.”
Two US officials stated that President Biden is likely to make military aid to Israel conditional on its efforts to improve the humanitarian conditions in Gaza, and the rapid achievement of a ceasefire. The White House denied these claims in a later statement.