The Biden administration said Tuesday that Israel has made good but limited progress in increasing the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza and therefore it will not limit arms transfers to Israel as it had threatened to a month ago if the situation had not improved. Relief groups say conditions are worse than at any point in the 13-month-old war.
The State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said Tuesday that the progress to date must be supplemented and sustained but that "we at this time have not made an assessment that the Israelis are in violation of U.S. law." The law requires recipients to adhere to international humanitarian law and not impede the provision of such aid.
"We are not giving Israel a pass," Patel said, adding that "we want to see the totality of the humanitarian situation improve, and we think some of these steps will allow the conditions for that to continue to progress."
The decision from the U.S. -- Israel's key ally and largest provider of arms and other military aid -- comes despite international aid organizations declaring that Israel has failed to meet U.S. demands to allow greater humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip. Hunger experts have warnedthat the north may already be experiencing famine.
The Biden administration last month set a deadline expiring Tuesday for Israel to "surge" more food and other emergency aid into the Palestinian territory or risk the possibility of scaled-back military support as Israel wages offensives against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The obstacles facing aid distribution were on this display this week. Even after the Israeli military gave permission for a delivery to the northernmost part of Gaza -- virtually cut off from food for more than a month by an Israeli siege -- the United Nations said it couldn't deliver most of it because of turmoil and restrictions from Israeli troops on the ground.
In the south, hundreds of truckloads of aid are sitting on the Gaza side of the border because the UN says it cannot reach them to distribute the aid -- again because of the threat of lawlessness, theft and Israeli military restrictions.
Israel has announced a series of steps -- though their effect was unclear. On Tuesday, it opened a new crossing in central Gaza, outside the city of Deir al-Balah, for aid to enter. It also announced a small expansion of its coastal "humanitarian zone," where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are sheltering in tent camps. It connected electricity for a desalination plant in Deir al-Balah.
Israel's new foreign minister, Gideon Saar, appeared to downplay the deadline, telling reporters Monday he was confident "the issue would be solved." The Biden administration may have less leverage after Donald Trump won the presidential election -- he was a staunch supporter of Israel in his first term.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's top national security adviser, Ron Dermer, in Washington on Monday to go over the steps that Israel has taken.
Blinken stressed "the importance of ensuring those changes lead to an actual improvement in the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza," the State Department said Tuesday.
President Joe Biden met Tuesday at the White House with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who said a "major objective" for the U.S. should be reining in Iran and its proxies. Herzog also called for the return of the hostages taken from Israel in the Hamas attack that started the war, to which Biden said, "I agree."
Eight international aid organizations, meanwhile, said in a report Tuesday that "Israel not only failed to meet the U.S. criteria" but also took actions "that dramatically worsened the situation on the ground, particularly in Northern Gaza...That situation is in an even more dire state today than a month ago."
The report listed 19 measures of compliance with the U.S. demands. It said Israel had failed to comply with 15 and only partially complied with four. The report was co-signed by Anera, Care, MedGlobal, Mercy Corps, the Norwegian Refugee Council, Oxfam, Refugees International and Save the Children.
In an Oct. 13 letter, the U.S. gave Israel 30 days to, among other things, allow a minimum of 350 truckloads of goods into Gaza each day; open a fifth crossing; allow people in coastal tent camps to move inland before the winter; and ensure access for aid groups to northern Gaza. It also called on Israel to halt legislation that would hinder operations of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, known as UNRWA.
Aid levels remain far below the U.S. benchmarks. Access to northern Gaza remains restricted, and Israel has pressed ahead with its laws against UNRWA.
Israel launched a major offensive last month in the north, where it says Hamas militants had regrouped. The operation has killed hundreds of people and displaced tens of thousands.
Through October and the first days of November, Israel allowed no food to enter the area, where tens of thousands of civilians have stayed despite evacuation orders.
Last week, Israel allowed 11 trucks to go to Beit Hanoun, one of the north's hardest-hit towns. But the World Food Organization said troops at a checkpoint forced its trucks to unload their cargo before reaching shelters in the town.
On Tuesday, COGAT -- the Israeli military body in charge of humanitarian aid to Gaza -- announced it allowed a new delivery of food and water to Beit Hanoun a day earlier. Again, the WFP said that while it tried to send 14 trucks, only three made it to the town "due to delays in receiving authorization for movement and crowds along the route." When it tried to deliver the rest Tuesday, Israel denied it permission, it said.
Aid into all of Gaza plummeted in October, when just 34,000 tons of food entered, only a third of the previous month, according to Israeli data.
UN agencies say even less actually gets through because of Israeli restrictions, ongoing fighting and lawlessness that makes it difficult to collect and distribute aid on the Gaza side.
In October, 57 trucks a day entered Gaza on average, and 75 a day so far in November, according to Israel's official figures. The UN says it only received 39 trucks daily since the beginning of October.
COGAT said 900 truckloads of aid are sitting uncollected on the Gaza side of the Kerem Shalom crossing in the south.
"Before the organizations give out grades, they should focus on distributing the aid that awaits them," COGAT said in response to the aid groups' report.
Louise Wateridge, a spokeswoman for UNRWA, said the miliary was not coordinating movements for aid trucks to reach the stacked-up cargos. "If we are not provided a safe passage to go and collect it ... it will not reach the people who need it," she said.
COGAT blamed the drop in October on closures of the crossings for the Jewish high holidays and memorials marking the anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack that triggered the war.
The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting around 250 people. Around 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, a third of whom are believed to be dead.
Israel's bombardment and ground invasion have killed more than 43,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to local health authorities, who don't say how many of those killed were militants. Around 90 per cent of the population of 2.3 million has been displaced, and hundreds of thousands are packed into squalid tent camps, with little food, water or hygiene facilities.
The United States has rushed billions of dollars in military aid to Israel during the war, while pressing it to allow more aid into Gaza.
Trump has promised to end the wars in the Middle East without saying how. He was a staunch defender of Israel during his previous term, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says they have spoken three times since his reelection last week.
------
Frankel reported from Jerusalem, and Magdy reported from Cairo. Associated Press writers Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel, and Colleen Long and Ellen Knickmeyer in Washington contributed reporting.
There are new calls to crack down on the sale of high-tech devices that can be used to clone key fobs and steal cars, in the wake of a W5 investigation that found the devices are falling into the hands of thieves.
For nearly 45 years, the identity of the human remains found along a rural road north of Toronto remained a mystery. It was on July 16, 1980, when a Markham, Ont. resident made the discovery near a wooded area on Eleventh Concession, between 14th and Steeles avenues. Unbeknownst to them, the remains belonged to William Joseph Pennell, a convict who had escaped a Kingston prison a month earlier.
The boos from a crowd wanting more action were growing again when Jake Paul dropped his gloves before the final bell, and bowed toward 58-year-old Mike Tyson.
It's a brisk, bright autumn morning when Julie-Ann McNeilly comes barrelling down a dirt road, steps out of her van and dives deep into the history of Johnny's Store.
The ancient Colosseum in Rome has witnessed some historic battles, with toga-clad crowds once packing the gigantic venue to watch gladiators slug it out against opponents including lions and baboons.
King Arthur, a figure so imbued with beauty and potential that even across the pond, JFK's presidency was referred to as Camelot — Arthur’s mythical court. But was there a real man behind the myth? Or is he just our platonic ideal of a hero — a respectful king, in today's parlance?
David Lavery, a former Canadian Forces soldier who helped approximately 100 people flee Afghanistan during the fall of Kabul, has been 'picked up' by the Taliban this week, according to multiple sources who spoke to CTV National News on the condition of anonymity.
Groups working to help victims of domestic violence in Nova Scotia say a recent string of murders of women provides just a glimpse of the extent of intimate partner violence in the province, and they say more action is needed to protect victims.
Former Canadian ambassador to the U.S. Derek Burney is calling Canada a 'laggard,' and says the country needs to do 'major work' on its defence spending if it wants to be taken seriously on other issues with the United States.
There are new calls to crack down on the sale of high-tech devices that can be used to clone key fobs and steal cars, in the wake of a W5 investigation that found the devices are falling into the hands of thieves.
For nearly 45 years, the identity of the human remains found along a rural road north of Toronto remained a mystery. It was on July 16, 1980, when a Markham, Ont. resident made the discovery near a wooded area on Eleventh Concession, between 14th and Steeles avenues. Unbeknownst to them, the remains belonged to William Joseph Pennell, a convict who had escaped a Kingston prison a month earlier.
A Winnipeg pawn shop owner is speaking out after a violent robbery at his McPhillips Street location.
It's a brisk, bright autumn morning when Julie-Ann McNeilly comes barrelling down a dirt road, steps out of her van and dives deep into the history of Johnny's Store.
Groups working to help victims of domestic violence in Nova Scotia say a recent string of murders of women provides just a glimpse of the extent of intimate partner violence in the province, and they say more action is needed to protect victims.
The criminal charges against former Ontario legislator Randy Hillier related to his participation in the 'Freedom Convoy' protest have been stayed after a judge ruled his case had taken too long.
Gabon is holding a referendum on a new constitution, more than one year after mutinous soldiers seized power in the oil-rich Central African nation.
Javier Milei's Argentina cast the sole vote against a non-binding UN resolution that denounced violence against women and girls.
Donald Trump's choice of Matt Gaetz to be attorney general has many U.S. Justice Department employees reeling, worried not only about their own jobs but the future of the agency that the Trump loyalist has railed against.
King Arthur, a figure so imbued with beauty and potential that even across the pond, JFK's presidency was referred to as Camelot — Arthur’s mythical court. But was there a real man behind the myth? Or is he just our platonic ideal of a hero — a respectful king, in today's parlance?
A federal judge in Texas has blocked a new rule from the Biden administration that would have expanded access to overtime pay to millions more salaried workers across the U.S.
Some Sudanese women and girls assert that men, including those meant to protect them such as humanitarian workers and local security forces, have sexually exploited them in Chad's displacement sites, offering money, easier access to assistance and jobs.
Former Canadian ambassador to the U.S. Derek Burney is calling Canada a 'laggard,' and says the country needs to do 'major work' on its defence spending if it wants to be taken seriously on other issues with the United States.
Canada's elections chief wants a ban on the misrepresentation of candidates and other key players in the electoral process through manipulation of their voice or image without consent.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is meeting with South American leaders in Peru today, in his second day at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.
For Mark Siemens, one of the worst things is the smell. The third generation farmer in B.C.’s Fraser Valley is still grappling with what started as a disturbing discovery on Halloween and has now ended with the loss of his entire 45,000-bird flock.
The two biggest children’s hospitals in Montreal - the CHU Sainte-Justine and Montreal Children's Hospital - are asking parents to avoid bringing their children to the emergency room if possible due to a surge in patients.
Despite decades of calls for more attention to patient safety in hospitals, people undergoing surgery still have high rates of complications and medical errors, a new study finds.
While it remains small compared to established online spaces such as X, Bluesky has emerged as an alternative for those looking for a different mood, lighter and friendlier and less influenced by Musk.
A species of marine worm that scientists lost sight of for almost 70 years has finally resurfaced, thanks to some eagle-eyed sleuthing and a seahorse less than an inch long. When researchers analyzed images of tiny seahorses taken by scuba divers, they found evidence of photobombing worms in the hundreds, living alongside the seahorses in coral colonies from Japan to Australia.
The moon has some new stories to tell. Scientists have published the first detailed analyses of the historic cache of lunar soil and rock that China retrieved from the far side of the moon this year.
In the new horror movie, 'Heretic,' Hugh Grant plays a diabolical religious skeptic who traps two scared missionaries in his house and tries to violently shake their faith.
A Nova Scotia couple fulfilled their wildest dreams Thursday night when they got engaged at Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in Toronto.
Toronto's Taylor Swift era is in full swing and fans are making the whole city shimmer with their outfits.
Olav Thon, a billionaire who went from selling leather and fox hides in his youth to build one of Norway's biggest real estate empires, has died. He was 101.
Counseling and health services firm Equinox on Friday disclosed a data breach involving the personal health information of some current and former clients, as well as staff and has notified the individuals likely to have been affected.
The CRTC is looking at how to redefine Canadian content, launching a new consultation with plans to hold a public hearing in the spring.
It's a growing trend online: fragrance influencers who rave about the beauty, sexiness and notes of vanilla in perfume have caught the attention of Canadian teenagers who are, in turn, flocking to cologne counters across the country.
The ancient Colosseum in Rome has witnessed some historic battles, with toga-clad crowds once packing the gigantic venue to watch gladiators slug it out against opponents including lions and baboons.
The Timmins rock band Miners and Sons have made history. The group performed a rock concert in the world’s deepest base metal mine below sea level, breaking a Guinness World Record.
The boos from a crowd wanting more action were growing again when Jake Paul dropped his gloves before the final bell, and bowed toward 58-year-old Mike Tyson.
Like Wonka’s famous golden ticket, the Pittsburgh Pirates are offering a scrumdiddlyumptious prize in exchange for a rare, one-of-a-kind baseball card of their star pitcher Paul Skenes.
Netflix's first attempt at handling a live sports event did not receive a passing grade.
In part two of a three-part series into how thieves are able to drive off with modern vehicles so easily, CTV W5 correspondent Jon Woodward uses a device flagged by police to easily clone a car key.
When a Tesla crashed on Lakeshore Boulevard in Toronto last month, the first people on scene knew there were occupants inside but couldn't immediately get them out.
Almost four out of five Canadian drivers switch to winter tires when the weather calls for them, according to a new survey.
When George Arcioni began renovating his kitchen last summer, he didn’t expect to find a stack of letters hidden in the wall behind his oven.
A Nova Scotia couple fulfilled their wildest dreams Thursday night when they got engaged at Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in Toronto.
Some Calgary residents caught what appeared to be a meteor streaking across the sky early on Wednesday morning.
Four years ago, Phill Hebb started up 'Phil’s Unique Birdhouses' and since then, they’ve made their way all across Canada and into the United States.
A New Brunswick fashion designer recently won the top prize at a national event for a dress she made using an unconventional material.
Dr. Ronald Weiss, who performed nearly 60,000 vasectomies on Ottawa men, establishing him as the "Wayne Gretzky" of the procedure, has died.
A congestion crisis, a traffic nightmare, or unrelenting gridlock -- whatever you call it, most agree that Toronto has a congestion problem. To alleviate some of the gridlock, the Ontario government has announced it plans to remove bike lanes from three major roadways.
For the second year in a row, the ‘Gift-a-Family’ campaign is hoping to make the holidays happier for children and families in need throughout Barrie.
Some of the most prolific photographers behind CTV Skywatch Pics of the Day use the medium for fun, therapy, and connection.
Video circulating on social media shows several security guards at a Surrey, B.C., mall physically pinning a teenage girl to the ground as she cries out in distress.
A group of Vancouver residents are speaking out against a proposed 18-storey high-rise development for W 14th Street and Yukon.
A prominent leader in B.C.’s Jewish community is hoping a police raid on a Vancouver home linked to a pro-Palestine group – which was recently deemed a terrorist entity by the government – will finally lead to charges.
For nearly 45 years, the identity of the human remains found along a rural road north of Toronto remained a mystery. It was on July 16, 1980, when a Markham, Ont. resident made the discovery near a wooded area on Eleventh Concession, between 14th and Steeles avenues. Unbeknownst to them, the remains belonged to William Joseph Pennell, a convict who had escaped a Kingston prison a month earlier.
After failed attempts at securing the long-awaited “Eras Tour” concert tickets in Toronto, Alexis Abou-Chalha thought she was out of luck. However, when Ticketmaster surprised fans with additional seats before the six-show series started, they were able to snag last minute tickets.
Taylor Swift is in the midst of playing her six-show series at the Rogers Centre and while fans are still scrambling to find tickets, some have unfortunately gotten caught in scams.
It's a brisk, bright autumn morning when Julie-Ann McNeilly comes barrelling down a dirt road, steps out of her van and dives deep into the history of Johnny's Store.
Alberta RCMP have charged a fifth person in the death of Calgarian Tara Miller.
Daniil Miromanov's first goal of the season was the game-winner and rookie Dustin Wolf had 29 saves for his first career shutout as the Calgary Flames beat the Nashville Predators 2-0 on Friday night.
An Ottawa driver has died following a single-vehicle crash on Highway 417 Friday afternoon, according to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).
A single-vehicle rollover Friday afternoon left one person dead, another injured and closed Glen Road in eastern Ontario for approximately eight hours, according to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).
Firefighters from Ottawa Fire Service helped CTV Morning Live’s crew Friday morning choose the best chili in town in the ByWard Market, in honour of the Grey Cup weekend.
Two men are missing after a house fire in Saint-Georges, Beauce, Friday evening.
A 47-year-old Terrebonne man has been charged following a case of road rage in broad daylight last summer on the Ile-aux-Tourtes bridge.
Montreal police (SPVM) have confirmed that a 76-year-old man died after a collision with an SUV in Montreal’s Rivière-des-Prairies neighbourhood.
An Edmonton woman was charged in the drowning of a five-year-old girl last month.
It's a brisk, bright autumn morning when Julie-Ann McNeilly comes barrelling down a dirt road, steps out of her van and dives deep into the history of Johnny's Store.
A couple's wedding day is something they'll remember forever, but for some recently married in Edmonton it's memorable for the wrong reasons.
All three Maritime provinces are working on alternatives to ensure residents receive vital mail, like government cheques, after Canada Post workers hit the picket lines Friday morning.
Groups working to help victims of domestic violence in Nova Scotia say a recent string of murders of women provides just a glimpse of the extent of intimate partner violence in the province, and they say more action is needed to protect victims.
On Friday, the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia (AGNS) reported on Facebook that Tom Forrestall had passed away.
A Winnipeg pawn shop owner is speaking out after a violent robbery at his McPhillips Street location.
When George Arcioni began renovating his kitchen last summer, he didn’t expect to find a stack of letters hidden in the wall behind his oven.
A hectic blur. That is how the opening day of Canada Life Centre—originally MTS Centre—is remembered by many who were involved in bringing the arena to downtown Winnipeg 20 years ago.
Despite the cancellation of a planned flag raising, a group of demonstrators gathered at Regina city hall Friday to mark Palestine’s Independence Day.
A Saskatchewan man is facing a child pornography charge following investigation by the provincial Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit.
Regina voters in two wards made history Wednesday night, electing two women of colour to serve on council for the first time in the city's history.
A former elementary school principal in Waterloo, Ont. has pleaded guilty to charges that include luring and transmitting sexually explicit material to someone believed to be under the age of 16.
A woman who was hit by a vehicle in Cambridge, Ont. is speaking out about the scary experience.
Canadian Union of Postal Workers said approximately 55,000 workers are striking, claiming little progress has been made in the bargaining process.
A Saskatoon rubber manufacturer is taking the province to court, claiming millions of dollars in damages for breach of a contract as part of a dispute that's lasted more than two years.
One of two boys involved in an unintentional fatal shooting of their 12-year-friend sentenced on Friday.
Saskatoon firefighters responded to a garage fire on the 100 block of Avenue U South Thursday night.
Newly released documents show the Royal Canadian Mounted Police collected wreckage after an unidentified object was shot down over Lake Huron in February of last year.
A 72-year-old teacher from Blind River has been charged with multiple counts of sexual assault involving two victims under the age of 16.
The Timmins rock band Miners and Sons have made history. The group performed a rock concert in the world’s deepest base metal mine below sea level, breaking a Guinness World Record.
Postal workers hit the picket line Friday morning, and the strike comes as we head into the busy holiday shopping season.
In case you missed it, CTV News London has gathered all of the top local stories from this week into one video for your convenience.
The hand decorated parade float will depart in the London Santa Claus Parade on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. from the Agriplex.
Officials held a groundbreaking ceremony Friday afternoon to celebrate the first phase of the Sky Towers development on Grove Street West in Barrie, which will add more than 500 new units to the City’s housing market.
One person was left with signs of hypothermia after being rescued from Kempenfelt Bay in the early hours of the morning.
Chris Forrester’s mother took the witness stand on Friday in the second-degree murder trial of a man accused of killing her son three years ago.
On Friday evening, Windsor Police say they were called to a collision on Chrysler Centre between Vinny and Ypres for reports of a vehicle collision involving a pedestrian.
A piece of national park history surfaced at Point Pelee National Park this week – a pair of parks badges from 1939 and 1940.
Chatham-Kent welcomed Canadian country music legend Michelle Wright home for the holidays with two unique tributes, highlighting her connection to the community.
Some travellers who checked baggage on certain WestJet flights between 2014 and 2019 may now claim their share of a class-action settlement approved by the British Columbia Supreme Court last month and valued at $12.5 million.
Intense flooding that hammered British Columbia's coast last month has led to more than $110 million in insured damage claims.
A Nanaimo nurse has agreed to a seven-day suspension for accessing patient records without authorization.
British Columbia's independent police watchdog has cleared officers of wrongdoing in a crash where three people were killed south of Kamloops in July of last year.
A B.C. woman who stole more than $14,000 in volunteer-raised funds that were supposed to be spent on school supplies and programs – including hot meals for vulnerable kids – won't spend any time in jail.
The emergency department at South Okanagan General Hospital in Oliver, B.C., will be closed for 31 hours this weekend, the second such closure in a week and the third since the start of November.
Early Friday morning, the union representing Canada Post workers officially went on strike. The strike will have a wide-reaching impact on many Canadians, and it comes at a difficult time for charities.
A back-and-forth question between Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi when it comes to calling a Lethbridge-West byelection has no distinct answer nearly five months later.
Two hundred students from across southern Alberta set sail at the University of Lethbridge Thursday, in cardboard boats.
A Sault Ste. Marie program that gives people on social housing the opportunity to purchase a newly renovated home has just changed the lives of another local family.
About 700 Canada Post workers are walking the picket lines in communities across northeastern Ontario.
After receiving reports of a dangerous and erratic driver, police in Sault Ste. Marie charged the driver of a vehicle on Highway 17 this week.
Newfoundland and Labrador's return on investment for sponsoring a professional English soccer team was not quite as rosy as previously claimed.
Police in Newfoundland say a man was electrocuted Saturday by a downed power wire about 10 kilometres north of St. John's, N.L.
On Thursday morning, Dave Penny officially ended a suggested hundred-day isolation period that followed his diagnosis and stem cell treatment for non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. On Thursday night, Penny returned to a stage at a downtown St. John's bar, regaling a small crowd with songs and stories with a distinctive Newfoundland flair.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
