A group of members in the U.S. House of Representatives on Monday called on the United Nations to ensure that humanitarian aid going to help Palestinians in Gaza isn’t stolen by Hamas.
The lawmakers, led by Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), asked U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres to seek a Security Council resolution authorizing a U.N. peacekeeping force to protect the aid convoys.
“To be blunt, this is beyond a breakdown in logistics. It is a failure of the U.N. to execute its mission,” the members wrote. “This lack of protection empowers the armed actors in Gaza, while forcing desperate civilians to risk their lives with no choice but to jump onto moving trucks to access aid.”
The letter to Guterres added: “With that as the only option, the vulnerable are physically unable to access aid and rely on aid reaching its destination for secure distribution, which seldom happens.”
It was sent during the General Debate of the U.N. General Assembly’s 80th session, when heads of state and heads of government come to New York City to outline their positions and priorities.
“Peacekeeping missions can only be set up by the U.N. Security Council, so it’s up to the 15 member governments in the Security Council to decide on that,” U.N. spokesperson Farhan Aziz Haq said via email to JNS.
The lawmakers also asked Guterres to work with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation to create an extensive aid distribution network in Gaza and accept offers from Israel to provide security.
“Please do not continue to allow aid trucks to be robbed by Hamas while civilians struggle to get food,” the House members wrote. “As we know, Hamas diverts and sells aid and is not focused on feeding innocent Palestinian families and children.
The lawmakers cited U.N. figures showing almost 90% of aid trucks not reaching the needy families they are supposed to help, but instead being diverted by Hamas or civilians desperate for food.
“If the United Nations is serious about bringing relief to Gazans, it will do what is necessary to achieve that goal, not accept a nearly 90% failure rate,” the lawmakers wrote. “Authorizing peacekeepers to protect aid convoys is a crucial step toward that end.”
Last weekend, armed terrorists robbed trucks carrying baby formula, according to UNICEF and the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories. COGAT said Hamas was responsible for the theft.
The signatories of the letter included Democratic Reps. Jim Costa, Jimmy Panetta and Juan Vargas of California; Jared Moskowitz and Darren Soto of Florida; Brad Schneider of Illinois; Donald Norcross of New Jersey; Laura Gillen, George Latimer and Tom Suozzi of New York; Susie Lee of Nevada; Greg Landsman of Ohio; and Henry Cuellar and Vincente Gonzalez of Texas.
