Garamendi Statement on the Starvation Crisis in Gaza

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA-08), a senior California Democrat and member of the House Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement on the dire, devastating, and deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Gaza:

"It’s impossible to look at the starvation caused by Israel’s dangerous and willful failure to enable humanitarian aid and not see a genocide being committed against the people of Palestine,” said Garamendi. “Gaza has been in a devastating man-made crisis where starvation is widespread among children and adults, where one in three people are going multiple days without eating and many are dying because of malnutrition. This must end.

“Food is readily and immediately available. Earlier this year, it was found that 60,000 metric tons of U.S. food aid, enough for 3.5 million people, or the entire population of Gaza, was sitting in storage, untouched because of Trump’s dissolution of USAID. We know now from Israeli officials that there is little evidence of Hamas routinely stealing aid, a claim that has been used by the Israelis for not distributing aid. Israel has the ability and the means to deliver adequate food to the Palestinians. They also have the obligation under international law to deliver it; it’s the choice of Prime Minister Netanyahu not to feed Gaza.

“I have seen starvation like this. In the Peace Corps, I saw firsthand what starvation does to a child. I have repeatedly called for Israel to stop this war and to address the devastating humanitarian crisis in Gaza. I was one of the only members to vote against military support for Israel, demanding that the U.S. cannot supply more weaponry to a country that is using it recklessly against innocent civilians. I have also joined 94 of my colleagues in demanding the Israeli government immediately resume shipments of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. I have also voted to block offensive weapons to Israel because I believe that America has an ethical imperative to ensure that humanitarian aid can promptly reach the population in Gaza.

“What Israel is doing is a horribly destructive attack on Gaza’s communities, and America should no longer provide destructive bombs and munitions to Israel. I unequivocally renew my call for Israel to immediately provide necessary humanitarian assistance and stop the purposeful starvation of Gaza.”

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