Dozens of House Democrats urged Israel to resume humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip on Wednesday.
“As supporters of a strong US-Israel relationship, we write to express our opposition to the current Israeli government policy to block all humanitarian aid from entering the Gaza Strip,” the group said in their letter addressed to Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter.
“We are deeply alarmed and dismayed by this blockade, which started on March 2 and has contributed to some of the worst humanitarian conditions in Gaza since October 2023. Such a policy is morally wrong and runs counter to the shared democratic values between our two countries,” the letter continued.
Led by California Democratic Reps. Salud Carbajal and Ami Bera, the letter also was signed by Reps. Mark Pocan (Wis.), Pramila Jayapal (Wash.), James Clyburn (S.C.), Maxwell Frost (Fla.) and many others.
According to recent reporting from The Associated Press, Gaza has not seen aid in over two months due to an Israeli blockade. The territory has already faced mass death, dire living conditions and infrastructure destruction amid Israeli military strikes on the strip during the Israel-Hamas war.
“We implore your government to resume the flow of aid into Gaza. We also reiterate our support for a renewed ceasefire and hostage release deal to finally end this war — the only option to alleviate the suffering of both Israelis and Palestinians and put the region on a path towards security and stability,” the House Democrats said in their letter.
The Hill has reached out to Embassy of Israel to the United States in Washington, D.C., for comment.
Read the letter here.