A group of 96 House Democrats has signed onto a letter to Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter blasting as both a moral and strategic failure Israel’s blockage of humanitarian aid moving into Gaza in recent months.

“We are deeply alarmed and dismayed by this blockade, which started on March 2 and has contributed to some of the worst humanitarian conditions in Gaza since October 2023,” the lawmakers, led by Reps. Salud Carbajal (D-CA) and Ami Bera (D-CA), wrote. “Such a policy is morally wrong and runs counter to the shared democratic values between our two countries.”

The letter argues that the blockade is creating “staggering … new levels of despair for Palestinian civilians” and will “only hurt Israel’s international standing and long term security.” They called on the Israeli government to resume aid deliveries immediately.

“We are moreover concerned that cutting off or severely restricting aid to Gaza harms Israel’s long term security,” the letter reads. “It is a stain on Israel’s international reputation, that jeopardizes efforts to normalize relations with neighboring Arab states, who have condemned this action.”

The signatories argued that the aid blockade could also worsen conditions for the hostages still alive in Gaza, potentially create regional disease outbreaks and could fuel further anti-Israel radicalization.

“Leveraging humanitarian aid to pressure Hamas, as [Israeli] Defense Minister [Israel] Katz has stated is the Israeli strategy, is unacceptable and constitutes an act of collective punishment against Palestinian civilians in Gaza,” the lawmakers said.

The lawmakers said they share Israeli concerns about Hamas’ theft of humanitarian aid, and urged Israel to work with the United States and international organizations to address it. They further called for the release of hostages and said they were “tremendously disturbed by Hamas’ grotesque displays as they released hostages and the remains of those killed in captivity.”

They called for a renewed ceasefire and hostage release deal that would bring an end to the war, which they described as “the only option to alleviate the suffering of both Israelis and Palestinians and put the region on a path towards security and stability.”

The letter describes reports of a new Israeli plan to resume aid as a positive step, but expresses concern that aid into Gaza would remain significantly restricted and that “[a]ny restructuring of the aid delivery system must allow for sufficient aid to the civilian population as defined by international humanitarian best practices, and be both logistically feasible and consistent with international law – all concerns raised by NGOs and UN agencies that operate in Gaza.”

They said that a new distribution plan cannot substitute for an “urgently needed surge in aid … under existing aid distribution systems.”

The letter was backed by J Street, which accused AIPAC of lobbying against the effort, tagging it as “right-wing.”