Trump Removes Biden-Era Order That Linked Arms Transfers to Humanitarian Aid
President Joe Biden issued a national security memorandum last year that required all countries that receive US military assistance not to impede humanitarian aid distribution. President Donald Trump has now rescinded that order.
In February 2024, President Biden issued a national security memorandum that said American military aid would be linked to compliance with international law. While the executive order was largely redundant, as the Leahy Laws prohibit US arms transfers to countries that commit war crimes, the memorandum was viewed as a way to push Israel to allow more assistance to enter Gaza.
The order proved ineffective in getting Tel Aviv to shift its policy of intentionally creating a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. Following Biden’s executive memo leaked documents from USAID showed the agency concluded that Israel was still blocking aid into the Strip.
