Washington, D.C. — Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet joined U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and 14 colleagues to urge the Biden Administration to improve the delivery of urgent humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza.
“The United States must work with our partners to expedite the delivery of aid to Gaza and limit civilian casualties. Degrading Hamas’s military capabilities and protecting Palestinian civilian lives are not mutually exclusive aims,” said Senator Bennet.
“The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is a catastrophe – thousands of civilians are dying, millions are at risk of disease and starvation, and the young, elderly, and most vulnerable are displaced, living without shelter. We have an obligation to work with our international partners to streamline access to aid and deliver the food, clean water, fuel, and medical support Gazans urgently need right now. We must also ensure that the humanitarian organizations working on the ground can do their lifesaving work safely and without obstruction,” said Senator Welch.
The United States is the largest single-state funder of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people. This resolution calls on the Biden Administration to continue working with allies and partners to help facilitate further humanitarian aid needed in Gaza to prevent starvation and disease. Specifically, the resolution calls for:
- Streamlined inspection of trucks entering Gaza;
- Increased access points for aid deliveries into Gaza;
- The distribution of adequate fuel to hospitals and humanitarian organizations in Gaza;
- Work to ensure the ability of humanitarian organizations to deliver aid safely and urgently in Gaza;
- Expanded number of safe shelters and food distribution locations for displaced people in Gaza;
- Support for efforts to restore water supply lines; and
- Work to secure the additional funding necessary to support the humanitarian response.
Following Hamas’ October 7th terrorist attacks on Israel, Bennet has worked with colleagues to protect civilian lives in Gaza. In October 2023, Bennet joined colleagues to call for sustained humanitarian aid and fuel deliveries to hospitals and water treatment centers in Gaza. The following month, Bennet and colleagues called on President Biden to take immediate steps to provide further critical humanitarian aid to the innocent civilians in Gaza, including re-opening the Kerem Shalom border crossing to allow life-saving water, food, and fuel to reach vulnerable civilians. In December, Bennet and colleagues urged President Biden to address deteriorating economic conditions in the West Bank.
This resolution is supported by CARE, Catholic Relief Services, J Street, Church World Service, Mennonite Central Committee, Project HOPE, Mercy Corps, and ANERA.
In addition to Bennet and Welch, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), and Angus King
(I-Maine) also cosponsored this resolution.
The text of the resolution is available HERE.