Rep. Panetta and Fellow Lawmakers who are Veterans Urge Increased Humanitarian Aid to Gaza

Washington, DC – United States Representative Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) and a group of Democratic lawmakers who have served in the U.S. Armed Services sent a letter to Israeli Ambassador Michael Leiter.  The letter urged Israel to take all available measures to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza while continuing its efforts to defeat Hamas.  Co-leading this effort with Rep. Panetta are Reps. Seth Moulton (MA-06), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Pat Ryan (NY-18), Chris Deluzio (PA-17), and Eugene Vindman (VA-07).

In the letter, the Members, all recent veterans of the war on terror, including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, stressed that Israel has both a strategic and moral obligation to prevent harm to civilians, particularly children.  They also emphasized that expanding the flow of humanitarian aid could weaken Hamas’s ability to exploit food scarcity as a weapon. 

“As veterans of America’s counterinsurgency campaigns over the last 25 years, we believe Israel has a responsibility and moral obligation to actively prevent harm to civilians, particularly children,” the lawmakers wrote.  “If food is abundant and easily available, it will deny Hamas the ability to use it as an instrument of coercion.  Not just restoring aid, but providing far more aid than in the past, will show the Palestinian that their future is protected not by Hamas but by the international community, and it will help pave the way to a ceasefire that includes the return of remaining hostages and, ultimately, a long-term political solution for lasting peace in the region.”

The letter expresses support for recent increases in humanitarian aid into Gaza and calls for those efforts to be expanded.  It also emphasizes that boosting aid can serve both humanitarian and strategic goals.  Those goals include reducing Hamas’s leverage over the Palestinian population, laying the groundwork for a ceasefire that includes the return of hostages, and fostering a durable plan for peace.

This latest effort builds on Rep. Panetta’s long record of pushing for humanitarian relief in Gaza.  In recent weeks, he co-led a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging greater oversight of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s operations and funding, and issued multiple statements calling for an immediate truce, release of hostages, and reforms to ensure safe, direct-to-civilian aid delivery.  He has consistently raised concerns about the humanitarian situation in Gaza in national media, and co-led efforts to provide $1.8 billion for the Food for Peace program to address global hunger crises, including in Gaza.  Since 2023, Congressman Panetta has organized and led multiple congressional letters, statements, and meetings with U.S. and foreign officials to expand aid corridors, increase transparency, and promote a long-term political solution while upholding Israel’s right to defend itself.

The full letter to Ambassador Leiter can be found here and below.

Dear Ambassador Leiter, 

As longtime supporters of Israel, we write to express our serious concern with the dire humanitarian aid situation in Gaza and implore Israel to take all available measures to alleviate the human suffering. The growing number of civilians suffering from acute hunger, dehydration, and preventable illnesses is undeniable, and as veterans of America’s counterinsurgency campaigns over the last 25 years, we believe Israel has a responsibility and moral obligation to actively prevent harm to civilians, particularly children.

Recent reporting has shown harrowing scenes of innocent starving children and desperate crowds swarming aid trucks, which has prompted President Trump to voice his concerns and call on Israel to allow the flow of aid into Gaza. We are happy to see reports of Israel allowing in additional aid in recent days. We believe this is a step in the right direction that should be expanded.

Food scarcity has provided Hamas an opportunity to weaponize aid for profit and control. We urge Israel, instead, to flood Gaza with humanitarian aid. If food is abundant and easily available, it will deny Hamas the ability to use it as an instrument of coercion. Throughout over twenty years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, when we admittedly learned many lessons the hard way, we almost never saw insurgents using food as a weapon because we helped ensure it was always in ample supply. We strongly believe Israel would benefit from adopting a similar strategy especially since it will take away leverage from Hamas. 

We remain steadfast in our support of Israel’s right to defend itself and want Israel to defeat Hamas. Hamas’s barbaric acts started this conflict and continue to further the plight of the Palestinians. We are also united in our shared commitment to respect civilian life and the laws of armed conflict, two values Hamas violates daily. Not just restoring aid, but providing far more aid than in the past, will show the Palestinian that their future is protected not by Hamas but by the international community, and it will help pave the way to a ceasefire that includes the return of remaining hostages and, ultimately, a long-term political solution for lasting peace in the region.

Thank you for your leadership, and we welcome continued dialogue and cooperation on this matter.

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