July 23, 2024

Duckworth Urges Secretary of State to Work with Israel to Expand and Expedite Delivery of Humanitarian Aid into Gaza to Support Aid Workers and Innocent Civilians

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—who served in the Reserve Forces for 23 years and is a member of both the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) and U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC)—urged U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Herzog to work together to ensure the Government of Israel expands and expedites the delivery of humanitarian and medical aid into Gaza to support humanitarian aid workers and innocent civilians who are suffering. A video of the Senator explaining the need for these actions is available on the Senator’s YouTube page.

In her letters to Secretary Blinken and Ambassador Herzog, Senator Duckworth wrote: “The lack of a clear and consistently enforced policy for the entry of humanitarian aid continues to cause a shortage of supplies and medical staff that contribute to preventable loss of life and suffering.”

In her letter to Secretary Blinken, Senator Duckworth continued: “To ensure adequate assistance to innocent civilians in Gaza, I urge you to work with the Government of Israel to outline a clear policy that includes broad commitments to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid and protect aid workers in line with international humanitarian law in addition to detailing specific plans to facilitate the following requirements to allow more effective provision of desperately-needed medical care.”

A full copy of the letter to Secretary Blinken is available below and on the Senator’s website:

Dear Secretary Blinken:

I am deeply concerned by reports of the severe inadequacies of medical facilities in Gaza and the continued blocking of medical supplies and other humanitarian aid to Gaza at its borders. U.S. citizen medical professionals volunteering to treat civilians impacted by the conflict have shared first-hand accounts of the chaotic regime of approval, scanning and inspection of both humanitarian assistance and of the personal belongings of aid workers intending to enter Gaza, which is ultimately controlled by Israeli authorities.

The lack of a clear and consistently enforced policy for the entry of humanitarian aid continues to cause a shortage of supplies and medical staff that contribute to preventable loss of life and suffering. I recognize and appreciate the work that the Administration has done to expand the flow of humanitarian assistance and aid workers into Gaza since the start of fighting under constantly changing circumstances. I ask that, as you continue to lead diplomatic efforts to bring an end to this conflict, you specifically address the factors that are impeding volunteer medical care for suffering Palestinians in Gaza, notably standards and inspection procedures for aid and personnel entering Gaza and safe passage for aid workers.

The restrictions placed on medical staff and supplies entering Gaza have increased significantly since miliary operations began in Rafah, closing the crossing that had been the primary entry point for aid. Volunteers willing to enter Gaza to provide medical care, including U.S. citizen doctors, are subject to increasingly severe and arbitrary restrictions, including being required to enter Gaza without personal supplies of food and medicine for their own consumption, and are required to stay for a minimum of four weeks at a time, a recent change that has restricted the population of individuals able to enter Gaza to provide much-needed medical assistance. Further, reports from on the ground suggest that groups from across international aid organizations are limited to as few as 30 individuals entering at a time, a couple of times a week.

These restrictions are both impractical and dangerous given the severe inadequacies of medical facilities in Gaza and the dire nutrition and sanitation conditions into which volunteers are entering. Additionally, unacceptable examples of attacks on aid workers persist, such as the death of a UN aid worker after his vehicle was fired on by an Israeli tank in mid-May, and the attack on a World Central Kitchen convoy in April that resulted in deaths of seven individuals. In many of the widely reported incidents like these, aid workers were traveling in clearly marked vehicles and reported providing their coordinates to Israeli forces. The danger that volunteers face coupled with restrictions and uncertainty that severely impede their ability to provide medical care do not reflect Israel’s commitment to mitigate the suffering of civilians.

American doctors of Palestinian descent are also reportedly being denied entry into Gaza as a matter of border policy. Such discrimination against U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents would directly violate the terms for participation in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program (VWP) (8 U.S. Code 1187). Last September, several of my colleagues and I raised our concerns with Israel’s failure to comply with VWP requirements since a VWP memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Israel went into effect in July 2023. These issues have not been adequately addressed, and I am concerned that this targeted action further hinders effective provision of medical assistance in Gaza.

While the U.S. must continue to advocate for an immediate and mutual ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, it is important that we acknowledge that innocent lives will continue to be lost until access to medical care and other humanitarian assistance is guaranteed. Medical professionals returning from service in Gaza have provided timely and first-hand accounts of conditions on the ground stressing the critical need for expanded medical allowances, including basic needs such as food and water for adequate nutrition to heal; the organized and lawful presence of medical supplies and staff to treat those who are wounded and ill; and aerial medical evacuation for children who require medical attention and their parents or guardian.

To ensure adequate assistance to innocent civilians in Gaza, I urge you to work with the Government of Israel to outline a clear policy that includes broad commitments to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid and protect aid workers in line with international humanitarian law in addition to detailing specific plans to facilitate the following requirements to allow more effective provision of desperately needed medical care:

Delivery of medical supplies, food and water—both aid for civilians and personal supplies for aid workers—through overland crossings, eliminating arbitrary and inconsistent restrictions;
Allowance for greater numbers of medical professionals into Gaza on more flexible timelines and without discrimination, including Americans of Palestinian descent;
Medical evacuation for children requiring medical attention and their parents or guardian during daytime pauses in military activity;
Secure delivery routes through conflict areas controlled by the Israeli Defense Forces.

I have included two appendices listing medical supplies that are urgently needed to treat civilians in Gaza for your review. I encourage the immediate negotiation of these actions and support your diplomatic efforts to do so.

I strongly affirm the United States’ continued commitment to the people of Israel and to a peaceful two-state solution. There can be no justification for taking hostages and we continue to call on Hamas to release the remaining hostages and bring an end to the conflict. The United States must remain committed to democratic values and norms, including respect for international humanitarian law. While the entire global community has a responsibility to address the growing humanitarian crisis, the U.S. must work with our close ally to establish practical, logistical processes for the delivery of much-needed medical care to suffering civilians now.

A full copy of the letter to Ambassador Herzog is available below and on the Senator’s website:

Dear Ambassador Herzog:

As a strong supporter of the three-phase proposal to ensure an enduring ceasefire and release of hostages – the product of diplomatic negotiations among the United States, Israel, Qatar, Egypt and others – I continue to urge Israeli and Hamas officials to immediately negotiate a mutual ceasefire. While this important work continues, I write you today to address the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and to remind Israel of its commitment of adherence to international law.

The lack of a clear and consistently enforced policy for the entry of humanitarian aid continues to cause a shortage of supplies and medical staff that contribute to preventable loss of life and suffering. I ask that, as Israel continues to engage in diplomatic efforts to bring an end to this conflict, you specifically address the factors that are impeding volunteer medical care for suffering Palestinians in Gaza, notably standards and inspection procedures for aid and personnel entering Gaza and safe passage for aid workers.

As Israel continues diplomatic efforts to negotiate an immediate and mutual ceasefire agreement with Hamas, it is important that we acknowledge that innocent lives will continue to be lost until access to medical care and other humanitarian assistance is guaranteed. Medical professionals returning from service in Gaza have provided timely and first-hand accounts of conditions on the ground stressing the critical need for expanded medical allowances, including basic needs such as food and water for adequate nutrition to heal; the organized and lawful presence of medical supplies and staff to treat those who are wounded and ill; and aerial medical evacuation for children who require medical attention and their parents or guardian.

To ensure adequate assistance to innocent civilians in Gaza, I urge the Government of Israel to outline a clear policy that includes broad commitments to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid and protect aid workers in line with international humanitarian law in addition to detailing specific plans to facilitate the following requirements to allow more effective provision of desperately needed medical care:

Delivery of medical supplies, food and water—both aid for civilians and personal supplies for aid workers—through overland crossings, eliminating arbitrary and inconsistent restrictions;
Allowance for greater numbers of medical professionals into Gaza on more flexible timelines and without discrimination, including Americans and foreign nationals of Palestinian descent;
Medical evacuation for children requiring medical attention and their parents or guardian during daytime pauses in military activity;
Secure delivery routes through conflict areas controlled by the Israeli Defense Forces.

I strongly affirm the United States’ continued commitment to the people of Israel and to a peaceful two-state solution. There can be no justification for taking hostages and we continue to call on Hamas to release the remaining hostages and bring an end to the conflict. Israel must remain committed to democratic values and norms, including respect for international humanitarian law. While the entire global community has a responsibility to address the growing humanitarian crisis, as the nation with the most control over what humanitarian assistance and aid workers are able to enter Gaza, Israel must establish practical, logistical processes for the delivery of much-needed medical care to suffering civilians now.

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