Senators Merkley and Van Hollen Release Report on Gaza Humanitarian Crisis

Report Findings on Gaza

• 🎯 The report, titled "The Netanyahu government is implementing a plan to ethnically cleanse Gaza of Palestinians. America is complicit. The world must stop it," details findings from a trip to Israel, the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, and Egypt.
• 💥 Senators Merkley and Van Hollen assert that the Netanyahu government has exceeded its mandate of targeting Hamas, imposing collective punishment on the people of Gaza.
• 💔 The report highlights statements from Netanyahu government officials, including Prime Minister Netanyahu, indicating a war aim of removing the Palestinian population from Gaza.

Destruction and Displacement

• 🏚️ The city of Rafa, previously home to 210,000 people, has been reduced to rubble, as evidenced by firsthand observations and photographs.
• 🏗️ Approximately 90% of homes in Gaza have been destroyed or severely damaged, indicating systematic destruction of civilian infrastructure.
• ➡️ The report argues that the "voluntary removal" of Palestinians is a cynical phrase, as displacement is occurring due to the destruction of homes, infrastructure, and livelihoods.

Humanitarian Aid Obstacles

• 🚫 The Netanyahu government is accused of restricting humanitarian assistance into Gaza, including using food as a weapon of war.
• 📉 Deliberate obstacles include unnecessary requirements and red tape at the port of Ashdod, leading to thousands of shipping containers of food being blocked.
• 🗺️ Restrictions are also placed on corridors like the Jordan corridor and the Egyptian corridor through Rafa, with unpredictable denials of entry for essential items like peanut butter and honey.
• 🍽️ A strategy involving only four distribution sites for two million people, primarily in southern Gaza, is seen as a method of population control and displacement, rather than effective aid delivery.

US Complicity and Recommendations

• 💸 The United States is described as complicit due to providing taxpayer-funded support and weapons to the Netanyahu government.
• 🛑 Senators urge the US to stop providing weapons and economic aid if the assault on Gaza City continues, emphasizing the need to draw a red line.
• 🕊️ The report calls for an end to the war, bringing hostages home, and establishing a permanent ceasefire to allow humanitarian aid and negotiations for a better future.
• ⚖️ Opportunities exist within Senate committees to hold the Netanyahu government accountable and ensure desperately needed humanitarian assistance reaches Gaza.

West Bank Situation

• 🏞️ The report also touches on the West Bank, describing the expansion of illegal settlements and the systematic displacement of Palestinians as "ethnic cleansing in slow motion."
• 🤝 The US is urged to use its influence as a partner to end the conflict, citing both strategic and moral interests in promoting human rights.