U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Monday and urged further actions to substantially increase humanitarian aid in Gaza, the State Department said in a statement.

State Department says Israel 'failed' to sufficiently improve humanitarian conditions as deadline to meet requirements or risk restrictions on military assistance draws near

TEL AVIV — Israeli leaders told Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday that it is not Israel’s policy to isolate nor thern Gaza, a senior State Department official said, even as the United Nations reported its requests to bring desperately needed humanitarian assistance to the area continued to be denied.

The Biden administration warned Oct. 13 that Israel had 30 days to ensure more humanitarian aid to Gaza or the U.S. would consider restricting weapons transfers.

President Joe Biden's administration gave Israel a "fail" grade in regard to improving aid to Gaza during the ongoing war with Hamas militants. On Monday, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller on Monday criticized Israel's response to conditions outlined for improving aid deliveries to Gaza,

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called for more aid for the Gaza Strip in view of a deteriorating humanitarian situation in the territory more than a year into the war. Blinken "discussed the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza" in a phone call with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant,