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Lawmakers press State Department over Gaza aid after senators cite child malnutrition figures
Summary
Senators told Secretary Rubio that civilian starvation in Gaza is mounting and demanded larger, sustained aid flows; Rubio said the administration pressed Israel to allow aid and that additional truck convoys are expected but acknowledged current deliveries are insufficient.
Senators raised urgent humanitarian concerns about Gaza during the committee hearing, citing mortality and malnutrition numbers and urging the administration to press for much larger aid deliveries.
Senator Merkley cited United Nations and World Health Organization statistics, telling the committee that agencies had reported acute malnutrition and deaths among children in Gaza. "The World Health Organization reported a couple days ago that 57 children had died from the effects of malnutrition," he said, adding that limited truck convoys are far short of needs.
Rubio said the administration pressed for greater flows of humanitarian assistance and welcomed recent steps to allow aid to enter. “We were pleased to see that aid is starting to flow in again. I understand your point that it's not in sufficient amounts, but we were pleased to see that decision was made,” he told senators, and noted plans for additional convoys: “I understand another hundred trucks are behind that and maybe more in the next few days.”
Senators repeatedly said five trucks — the initial deliveries reported in committee — are a fraction of what is needed and urged the secretary to press allies and Israel for sustained safe passage for humanitarian shipments. Rubio said the U.S. has engaged the World Food Programme and regional partners to plan distribution and stressed that eliminating Hamas is a stated objective of Israeli operations; he added that a durable relief and reconstruction plan will require a governing authority capable of ensuring aid distribution and security.
Ending: Committee members urged the administration to press for substantially increased daily aid flows, and Rubio said he would continue diplomatic engagement with partners to expand deliveries and to develop longer-term reconstruction plans contingent on security and governance outcomes.
