May 13, 2025
Mr. Welch (for himself, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Booker, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Heinrich, Mr. Hickenlooper, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Kaine, Mr. Kim, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Markey, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Murphy, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Ossoff, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Schatz, Mrs. Shaheen, Ms. Slotkin, Ms. Smith, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Warner, Mr. Warnock, Ms. Warren, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Whitehouse, and Mr. King) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
Calling for the urgent delivery of humanitarian aid to address the needs of civilians in Gaza.
Whereas the entire population of the Gaza Strip, an estimated 2,200,000 people, is facing acute levels of hunger;
Whereas, according to the United Nations, since January 2025, approximately 10,000 children have been identified as suffering from acute malnutrition—a telltale sign of imminent famine;
Whereas the borders of Gaza have been blocked since March 2, 2025, prohibiting entry of food, medicine, infant formula, fuel, and other lifesaving humanitarian supplies;
Whereas all 25 World Food Program-supported bakeries in Gaza closed on March 31, 2025, as wheat flour and cooking fuel ran out, and the same week World Food Program food parcels distributed to families—with two weeks of food rations—were exhausted;
Whereas the Executive Director of the World Food Program Cindy McCain said on April 25, People are starving, and… many more are going to starve as a result of this.
;
Whereas women eat last and least in times of heightened food insecurity; and
Whereas the health system in Gaza is near total collapse: Now, therefore, be it
That the Senate—
(1)
is gravely concerned with—
(A)
the humanitarian crisis and acute suffering of the Palestinian civilians in Gaza; and
(B)
the suffering of the hostages and hostage families; and
(2)
calls on the White House, Department of State, and other relevant United States Government agencies to urgently use all available diplomatic tools to bring about the release of the hostages, an immediate cessation of the blockade on food and humanitarian aid for Palestinian civilians, and a durable end to the conflict in Gaza.