US law prohibits security assistance to any government that restricts the delivery of US humanitarian aid. But the provision in question — Section 620I (“eye”) of the Foreign Assistance Act — has never been systematically implemented. Section 620I dates back to congressional concerns about Turkey’s embargo of Armenia during the 1990s, and it featured in congressional oversight efforts regarding the Saudi-led coalition’s military campaign in Yemen. Now, as the Israeli government restricts humanitarian aid in Gaza, US legislators and advocates have invoked Section 620I and called for its implementation to ensure that the United States uses its full leverage to secure humanitarian access. This fact sheet from Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC) and Oxfam America provides an overview of Section 620I, its history, and its relevance to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
