Six House Democrats are calling on Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to restore U.S. humanitarian aid to Gaza in a letter Wednesday.
Sen. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., the leader of the group tweeted:
".@RepDebDingell & I just led a letter urging @SecPompeo to restore humanitarian aid to Gaza & have Israel end its blockade.
"Gaza is facing a crisis & we're complacent in the starvation & poverty of millions of Palestinians.
"For the future of Palestine & Israel, we must act now."
The letter was signed by: Pocan; Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich.; Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich.; Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif.; Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz.; and Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt.
"We write to request that the administration take immediate action to alleviate the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza — and that you pursue a solution to the blockade policy that has contributed to this humanitarian and security crisis," the letter began, adding, "as we enter the new year, the continued deterioration of water and electrical infrastructure, medical systems, and other basic economic and social services bring Gaza closer to complete collapse."
President Donald Trump announced a Middle East peace plan in January that offers $50 billion for Palestinian territory investment, but it would only be delivered after the Palestinian Authority fulfills requirements including demilitarizing the Gaza Strip from Hamas.
"While Hamas bears some measure of responsibility for the deteriorating situation, Israel's continuing control of Gaza's air, sea and borders, and its restrictions on the freedom of movement of people, legitimate goods and equipment in and out of Gaza, make the humanitarian situation worse and contribute to continued instability," the House Democrats' letter read.
"The U.S. should also encourage Egypt and the Palestinian Authority to engage in a constructive way to solve the crisis in Gaza."
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has ceased all assistance to Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, a U.S. official said Feb. 1.
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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