The United States and Israel must facilitate a “massive surge” in humanitarian aid—particularly infant formula—into Gaza, more than 100 members of Congress wrote in a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday.
The countries “have a moral obligation to address the dire conditions that threaten the lives of Palestinian families,” the letter states, requesting that Rubio respond by Sept. 1.
“No child should face the desperation and suffering we are witnessing in Gaza in real time, and our hearts break for the children killed in Israel and Gaza,” the legislators wrote. “We must use our leverage to ensure the most vulnerable are protected, and we implore you to take these steps to save innocent lives.”
The letter cites reports of mass starvation in Gaza and emphasizes that malnutrition impacts mothers’ ability to breastfeed, “rendering formula the only option for infant survival in many cases.”
The letter also criticizes the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, claiming that GHF aid packages do not include baby formula and that the organization has delivered “only a tiny fraction of the aid that could be delivered by the previous U.N.-coordinated distribution system.” (The United Nations published data in August showing that 88.7% of Gaza aid trucks collected by the U.N. were intercepted before reaching their destination).
All seven members of the Democratic “squad” in Congress, including Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), signed onto the letter, as did Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), who is Jewish.
