A group of congressional Democrats visiting Israel this week, including 11 first-term lawmakers, pressed Israeli leaders on the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, emphasizing the need for them to increase aid flows into the enclave, Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL) told Jewish Insider on Wednesday.

Schneider said the “focus of the trip, without question, was understanding Israel’s existential war against Hamas — Hamas attacked on Oct. 7 … understanding the implications of that. But also understanding the humanitarian crisis that’s taking place in Gaza.” 

He said the group’s meetings, including with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, focused on the humanitarian crisis, the obstacles to providing aid and how to to increase aid flows.

“We are committed to resolving the war in Gaza. That means bringing back the hostages … and we need to bring them back with great urgency, while at the same time we’re committed to getting aid into Gaza,” the Illinois Democrat said.

Schneider, the co-chair of the Congressional Jewish Caucus, has been a key Democratic supporter of Israel in the House, but has also been increasingly vocal about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and of Israel’s plans to further expand its war operations, finalized last week.

“We need more locations, we need more distribution points, we just need more aid,” Schneider told JI. “We’re committed to trying to do everything we can, and we pressured the Israeli government to continue to do more, and we’ll continue to do that. This was very informative — the ability to be on the ground to see what’s happening, to better understand the challenges.”

He emphasized that Israel is providing aid in Gaza, but recent United Nations statistics confirmed that the vast majority of U.N.-facilitated aid is being diverted from its intended destinations inside the enclave.

“There are great challenges, but that doesn’t change the fact that there is a crisis that needs a response,” Schneider said. “Israel is part of that response. The U.S. has a role, as do other nations, our allies.”

The lawmaker said they also met with opposition leader Yair Lapid, whom Schneider said delivered a similar message to the group: that “as [Israel] fights Hamas, and works to defeat its enemy that is sworn to destroy Israel and kill all Jews, not just in Israel but around the world — the people of Gaza are not the enemy.”

In addition to Israeli political leaders, the group met with leadership from the World Food Program, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and COGAT, the Israeli military division that coordinates aid moving into Gaza.

The group also discussed the aid issue at length with U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee.

Regarding the future of the war in Gaza, Schneider said that Netanyahu delivered a similar message in their private meeting as in public — that he has a plan to bring the war to an end. He added that Lapid, in their conversation, accused Netanyahu and his administration of acting without a plan.

“My view has not changed about the idea of occupying all of Gaza or even going in and occupying Gaza City,” Schneider said. “I think the best thing for Israel, for the Palestinians, for the region is to bring the war to a conclusion.”

He added that Hamas is the only party that wants to see the war continue, and it “has the power to end the war tomorrow” by surrendering and releasing the hostages. He added that the U.S. and its Arab partners are working “very hard” to put more pressure on Hamas, but said that the post-war plan is also critical.

“It’s not just ending the war, it’s what happens on the day after. And we need to make sure that we have that plan laid out just as much. That’s why, in all my conversations and my colleagues’ conversations, we were asking that question,” Schneider said.

He said that he and the other lawmakers sought to send the message that the U.S.’ commitment to Israel’s security “remains solid and bipartisan.”

Schneider said that the meeting with Netanyahu, which lasted for an hour and a half, touched on a series of other issues, including a 16-year-old Palestinian-American detained for allegedly throwing rocks at Israeli settlers, Israeli settler violence and the need to free the hostages — which Schneider said Netanyahu conveyed he was committed to doing.

The trip also included a visit to Ramallah, where the lawmakers spoke with Mohammad Mustafa, the prime minister of the Palestinian Authority, and other PA leaders. Schneider, who has met with PA leaders on numerous occasions, said that this was the “most constructive conversation” he’s had with them.

He said Mustafa expressed a commitment to a two-state solution, to finding a path to peace and to implementing necessary reforms, including to the PA’s terror payments policy. Schneider also noted the Palestinian cabinet ministers are largely a new group installed last year. But, he added, the PA lacks credibility with the Palestinian people and is widely seen as corrupt.

“They seem to be taking those steps, but they need to be concrete,” Schneider said. “They need to demonstrate a commitment to good governance, a commitment to addressing their finances and being a partner for peace that really hasn’t been there for a very long time. So it was very positive.”

The trip comes at a time of intense strain in the relationship between the Israeli government and congressional Democrats. Schneider said that, in such a moment, it was important for the Democratic freshmen to learn about the situation on the ground.

“You’re getting a broad perspective and understanding that Israel is America’s best ally in a very important region for us, that we can strengthen that relationship,” he said. “It is fair for people to be critical of actions — Democrats are critical of our own government, Democrats can be critical of Israel’s government, and we should have expectations of our allies.”

But he added that the trip also addressed hopes for a more positive future, focused on the Abraham Accords, and that his colleagues heard about that “commitment to peace” and to finding a path toward expanding normalization.

“The vision and promise within the Abraham Accords is for an entirely different region where Muslims, Jews, Christians, Israelis, Arabs, Emiratis, Jordanians, etc., live together in peace, building a better future for all of their children and their countries,” he said. “That can’t happen until we get through the barrier of the enemies of peace. Hamas is an enemy of peace. Hezbollah. Iran. We can’t let them win.”

The Democrats visited the Gaza envelope together with a Republican delegation that overlapped with the Democrats’ visit for part of last week, going to some of the communities hit hardest in the Hamas attacks and visiting an overlook to Gaza.

Schneider said that, in their meetings, in addition to the situation in Gaza, the Democratic lawmakers had discussed the range of other existential threats that Israel faces from its various regional enemies. 

“Israel can’t afford to stumble, and the U.S. and Israel have to remain vigilant and stand strong together,” Schneider said.

The group visited the Israeli border with Syria and received a briefing on the situation in the country. Schneider said that the path forward in Syria is “uncertain” and that the exact shape and intentions of the new Syrian regime remain unclear.

He said that “everyone we talked to supported the idea of lifting the sanctions on Syria and giving [President Ahmed Al-Sharaa] a chance to succeed” and described Israel as supportive of the U.S. approach of working with the new Syrian government.

Schneider added that the atrocities committed against the Alawites and Druze in Syria by government-aligned forces — in response to which Israel carried out strikes on several key Syrian government facilities in Damascus — were comparable to those of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks.

“It can change in an instant,” Schneider said. He said that there’s a “chance for a more constructive and positive future” if the Syrian government is willing to represent and embrace the diverse groups that make up Syrian society.

Regarding the recent Israeli and American strikes on Iran’s nuclear program, Schneider emphasized the “broad support” for those efforts in Israel, including from Lapid.

“One of the reasons that the moment was right to strike Iran is because their defenses were diminished, but their capabilities were on the cusp of becoming exceedingly more threatening and more dangerous,” Schneider said. “We had a good step, and we need to get to a next step, which is not just moving Iran back from the threshold nuclear capabilities, but closing every pathway Iran might pursue towards a nuclear weapon.”

He said that the coming months, particularly ahead of the expiration of the snapback mechanism for the United Nations sanctions on Iran, will be critical.

Norway’s sovereign wealth fund said on Monday that it was divesting from 11 Israeli companies and had terminated its contracts with external fund managers in Israel over concerns regarding the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the West Bank.

“These measures were taken in response to extraordinary circumstances,” Nicolai Tangen, CEO of Norges Bank Investment Management, which manages the Norwegian Sovereign Wealth Fund, said in a statement. “The situation in Gaza is a serious humanitarian crisis. We are invested in companies that operate in a country at war, and conditions in the West Bank and Gaza have recently worsened. In response, we will further strengthen our due diligence.”

The decision follows a review initiated last week by Norway’s finance minister amid media reports that the fund had in recent years increased its holdings in an Israeli jet engine company that provides services to the Israeli military. 

The new announcement comes amid heightened tensions between Israel and Norway in the wake of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attacks and the ensuing war in Gaza. In what was largely interpreted as a symbolic rebuke of Israel last year, for instance, Norway said it would recognize a Palestinian state. In response, Israel revoked the accreditation of eight Norwegian diplomats in Tel Aviv who had served in Norway’s representative office in the Palestinian Authority.

Yonatan Freeman, an expert on international relations at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, said that there is “clear public pressure on the Norwegian government,” whose ruling Labour Party is up for reelection next month, “to respond to the Israeli war in Gaza,” and the wealth fund’s latest move “seems to be, in part, a symbolic gesture to that end.”

“Symbolic, because Israeli companies have long contributed to the fund’s performance and to Norway’s economy more broadly — through tech innovation, cybersecurity and medical devices,” Freeman told Jewish Insider on Monday. “Israel also imports Norwegian goods, such as salmon, which make up a significant portion of its fish market.”

Last year, the fund also said that it had divested from Israeli telecommunications firm Bezeq after a state ethics watchdog had raised objections to the company’s servicing of Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

In an interview with a Norwegian broadcaster last week, Tangen said the fund has a mandate to invest in Israel but ultimately defers to the ethics council that oversees the bank’s holdings, according to The Wall Street Journal. “Being invested in Israel is a political question, it is not a decision we make in the oil fund,” Tangen said. “We must have a very clear division of roles here, and we carry out the mandate that we have.”

The bank, the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund, held investments in 61 Israeli companies at the end of June, according to its announcement on Monday.  

“A truly consequential move would have been a full divestment from Israeli firms and a severing of trade ties, which undeniably could hurt Israel’s financial capacity to wage war,” Freeman told JI. “But Norway knows that would come at a steep cost — economically and diplomatically.”

Tangen has worked to build relationships with American business leaders he has hosted on his podcast in recent years, including Michael Dell of Dell Technologies, Jonathan Gray of Blackstone, Paul Singer of Elliott Management and Ruth Porat of Alphabet — many of whom have prominently engaged in philanthropic efforts to support Israel following the Oct. 7 attacks.

The bank has also hosted several other pro-Israel U.S. business executives at its annual investment conference in Oslo, including Marc Rowan of Apollo Global Management and David Solomon of Goldman Sachs.

Representatives for Dell, Gray and other executives who have been courted by Tangen did not respond to requests for comment on Monday.

Even as the fund did not announce a wholesale divestment from Israeli holdings, its decision drew scrutiny from the Anti-Defamation League, whose CEO, Jonathan Greenblatt, characterized the divestment strategy as perpetuating double standards in a statement to JI on Tuesday.  

“Hamas is celebrating this divestment in the tunnels of Gaza,” Greenblatt said. “Demonizing the Middle East’s only democracy while practically giving a free pass to authoritarian regimes isn’t ethical investing — it’s capitulating to forces that seek to isolate Israel.”    

Israeli companies face the “highest exclusion rate” — 32% — in the fund’s equity portfolio, which includes 63 countries and 8,659 holdings, according to a new analysis by JLens, a Jewish investor network affiliated with the ADL. Ari Hoffnung, managing director of JLens, called the disparity “outrageous,” arguing in a statement to JI that “Norway’s ‘ethical guidelines’ aren’t about ethics — they’re about singling out the Jewish state.”

Some experts speculated that the fund’s decision could draw backlash from the Trump administration and Congress as well.

Emmanuel Noval, a lecturer on international relations at Tel Aviv University, said the decision “might backfire” and could “face legal issues in the U.S.,” as congressional lawmakers have ramped up efforts targeting anti-Israel boycott and divestment campaigns.

Rich Goldberg, a senior advisor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies who recently wrapped up a stint as a senior counselor to the White House’s new National Energy Dominance Council, criticized the wealth fund’s investing practices, which he said deserved broader scrutiny amid ongoing trade talks with the United States.

“It’s important to recognize that Norges isn’t just attacking Israel, it’s been attacking America for years through its ESG investment and divestment strategy,” Goldberg told JI on Monday, referring to environmental, social and governance reporting. “Israel is typically the canary in the coal mine.”

“I’d urge our trade negotiators to take a hard look at all of Norges’ anti-American practices and make demands for fundamental change a condition of any trade deal with Norway,” he added.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment on Monday.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro called the humanitarian crisis in Gaza “awful” and said the U.S. has a “moral responsibility” to “flood the zone with aid.”

Speaking to the central Pennsylvania Fox34 news channel on Tuesday, Shapiro said, “The fact that kids are starving in Gaza is not OK. It is not OK. And I think everyone has a moral responsibility to figure out how to feed these kids. It is true that Hamas intercepts aid. It is true that the aid distribution network is not as sophisticated as it needs to be, but given that, I think our nation, the United States of America, has a moral responsibility to flood the zone with aid.” 

“It is awful, what is happening in Gaza,” the Democratic governor continued.

He also called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claim that there is no starvation in Gaza “quite abhorrent.” 

“He is wrong. He is wrong,” Shapiro said.

“I believe that also, as a result of that type of language, as a result of standing with Donald Trump with plans to occupy Gaza, or, as President Trump said, drive all the Palestinians out and create — his words, not mine — a Riviera of the Middle East, or however the president said it, I think that is not only reckless language, but what it does is it further isolates Israel in the world, and that’s a dangerous place for Israel to be,” Shapiro added.

Shapiro has faced criticism from the left flank of the Democratic Party for his support of Israel in the past, particularly when he was being considered as a potential vice president to join Kamala Harris’ ticket in the 2024 presidential election. 

The alleged perpetrator of the arson attack on Shapiro’s residence in Harrisburg, Pa., on the first night of Passover in April said he was motivated by the governor’s stance toward the Palestinians.

A divide is emerging in the Democratic Senate primary in Illinois over resolutions the Senate voted on earlier this week to block certain arms sales to Israel.

Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton’s campaign and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi told Jewish Insider on Friday that they wouldn’t have supported the resolutions led by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), even as they condemned the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. 

But Rep. Robin Kelly (D-IL) announced earlier in the day that she would have voted for the resolutions if she’d been in the Senate.

The split could help shape the potentially crucial Jewish community vote in the upcoming Senate primary.

“As a mother, it’s heartwrenching to see images of children forced to go without food. Israel and the United States need to take every possible step to end the humanitarian crisis and ensure aid is immediately and widely made available,” Stratton said in a statement to JI. “I continue to pray for a ceasefire that ends the suffering in Gaza, for the return of the hostages still held by Hamas to their families in Israel, and for lasting peace in the region.”

Stratton’s campaign elaborated that the lieutenant governor believes, “[w]e should all be speaking with a clear voice that the Netanyahu administration must be doing more to get food and aid to the citizens of Gaza right away, but Juliana believes that cutting off U.S. military aid to Israel could risk standing in the way of the ultimate goals of a true ceasefire and sustained peace.”

The campaign also said that Stratton believes in Israel’s “right to defend itself as one of the United States’ closest allies and the only democracy in the Middle East.”

The campaign said Stratton “strongly disagrees” with how the Israeli government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has executed the war in Gaza, but she “has been vocal in her support of Israel in the wake of the horrific terrorist attacks by Hamas on October 7th.”

Krishnamoorthi — who, in an interview with JI earlier this year, said he did not support efforts to cut off or condition U.S. aid to Israel — said Friday that the Sanders resolutions would not have solved the humanitarian crisis.

“We need an immediate ceasefire brokered by the U.S. and regional partners and that is swiftly accepted by Hamas, along with the release of the remaining hostages and the emergency provision of humanitarian aid,” Krishnamoorthi said in a statement to JI. “The U.S. must use all of its diplomatic influence to make that happen as quickly as possible. Ultimately, the only path to a lasting peace is a two-state solution. The first step and my focus today is ending the current humanitarian disaster and getting food in as quickly as possible. Wednesday’s resolutions did not right that wrong.”

He said that he has “long been a steadfast supporter of our nation’s alliance with Israel” and that it “had every right to defend itself,” but said that “[w]hat we see going on today in Gaza is a moral catastrophe.”

“As Americans, we can never sit by and allow widespread starvation and disease among a civilian population that includes the elderly, the disabled, women, and children,” Krishnamoorthi continued. 

He highlighted that he wrote to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff on Friday, urging them to surge aid into the strip and to ensure accountability that it reaches its intended recipients. 

He said in the letter that, despite acknowledging the starvation in Gaza, the administration has not done enough to remedy the situation. Krishnamoorthi also urged others in the region, including Hamas, to cooperate in the proper delivery of aid.

Kelly, meanwhile, said in a statement Friday that she would have voted for the resolutions.

“Israelis and Palestinians must work to secure a path forward where both peoples can live in peace, safety and security,” Kelly said in a statement. “I have supported Israel, but in this moment, I cannot in good conscience defend starving young children and prolonging the suffering of innocent families. Now is the time for moral leadership in the U.S. Senate.”

Both Sens. Dick Durbin (D-IL) — who is retiring — and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) supported the resolutions.

Durbin has supported every similar effort Sanders has made since November to block various arms sales to Israel, but Duckworth had voted against them in the past and, in fact, argued forcefully against them in a letter to constituents.

The votes on Sanders’ proposal to cut Israel aid are also proving to be a dividing line in Michigan’s Senate primary: Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) announced Friday that she would have opposed them, while state Sen. Mallory McMorrow said she supported them.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) said that she voted, for the first time, for resolutions blocking U.S. arms sales to Israel this week to send a message to the Israeli government of disapproval for the humanitarian situation in Gaza, even as she acknowledged that the vote might not make much of an impact.

“I just think it’s really important for people to speak out when they can, even if it’s on a vote that isn’t probably going to make all the difference right now. And it doesn’t mean I’m going to be hard-stop against aid for Israel in the future,” Klobuchar told Punchbowl News.

“At some point, you’ve got to seek change. And I think this is one way you can do it,” she continued. “I have supported Israel’s right to defend itself, I always will. But they aren’t changing.”

She said that she’d tried to communicate her disapproval of the humanitarian situation in Gaza to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his recent visit to Washington, D.C. but said it “didn’t work very well when I said it.”

Klobuchar said in a Senate floor speech several days before the votes that she attended the meeting with Netanyahu “for one reason: in my capacity as No. 3 in the Democratic leadership, and that was to raise the issue of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.”

 “I say to my colleagues you can support the people of Israel. You can be horrified and condemn, as all of us did, the terrorist attack. But we cannot continue to allow people to starve,” Klobuchar said. “Lives are being lost on a daily basis, kids, innocents, and the government of Israel must change course.”

She said that U.S. policy must focus on returning to a ceasefire, increasing humanitarian aid, freeing the hostages and security a two-state solution.

The Minnesota Democrat, a moderate, has historically been a quiet but reliable supporter of Israel. She’s also the No. 3 Senate Democrat, seen as a potential successor to Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).

Of the 11 members of Democratic leadership, seven voted for the resolutions on Wednesday.

Klobuchar is running for the No. 2 Senate Democratic leadership slot, competing against Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI), a consistent supporter of prior efforts to halt weapons sales, and Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), who, like Klobuchar, flipped her vote to support the Sanders resolutions after previously opposing them.

Faced with tough questions about the humanitarian crisis gripping Gaza from members of one of the country’s most prominent synagogues, Rev. Johnnie Moore, executive chairman of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, defended his organization’s actions and said reports of civilian casualties at GHF’s aid sites are overblown.

“The hunger crisis in Gaza is real, and on the same token, this crisis is being used in all kinds of different ways to advance other agendas,” Moore told members of Sinai Temple, a large Conservative synagogue in Los Angeles, in a webinar hosted on Thursday by its leader, Rabbi Erez Sherman.  

“Hamas is losing control,” said Moore, a member of President Donald Trump’s evangelical advisory committee. The terrorist organization has made shutting down GHF a central demand in ceasefire negotiations with the U.S. and Israel. “We are meeting with Gazans every single day.” 

As hunger worsens in Gaza, some pro-Israel American Jews are growing increasingly concerned with the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian enclave and placing some of the responsibility with GHF, which took over the aid distribution in May with backing from the United States and Israel. 

Emblematic of the questions and unease that American Jews are grappling with, congregants of Sinai Temple grilled Moore, submitting questions through Sherman, about troubling reports — such as Palestinians being crushed in crowds and killed by live ammunition waiting for aid — that have plagued GHF since it started delivering food and humanitarian aid in Gaza.

Sherman told Jewish Insider that he received requests from many congregants to ask Moore “the tough questions.” That included asking about GHF’s model — which has limited food distribution sites to four locations that critics say are not easily accessible and can be dangerous. 

“We’ve done a lot in two months but it’s a new operation. We’re not perfect, we’re learning every day and we’re dedicated to being direct about what we think is working and what isn’t,” Moore answered. “One of the things we’ve been doing is a very successful community distribution arm which is more like the traditional U.N. system, where through local partners we distribute thousands of boxes more directly.” 

“It has always been our intention to serve everyone in the Gaza Strip,” Moore added later.

The conversation came as Senate Democrats recently argued that GHF has “failed” in its mission and “contributed to an unacceptable and mounting civilian death toll.” 

Moore pushed back against what he called “disingenuous” narratives about the organization’s work.

“Many days Hamas would attribute 100 percent of the casualties in Gaza to happening inside our distribution sites,” he said. “There have been some civilian casualties of people trying to get to our distribution sites — [which] the IDF has said it is responsible for, but we think that’s a relatively small number of people, [although] one person is too much … We have not seen the Israeli military do anything that remotely aligns with accusations [of misconduct] and we can’t control anything that happens outside of our [four] distribution sites.” 

“Why are people not sharing the stories of the good GHF does?” Sherman asked Moore. “Everything that comes along with good also sometimes has bad components.” 

Moore said that there are “both sincere and insincere reasons” for negative media coverage. “There are people who are using this for their own political, or other, purposes.” 

He went on to criticize “the broken humanitarian system [for] prolonging the war” and the United Nations for its unwillingness to partner with GHF, although a breakthrough may be coming he said, claiming that “in the last couple of days, we have some indications that some people in the U.N. system are going to defy the leadership.” 

“I thought this conversation would be about food but it’s a much greater conversation,” Sherman said during the webinar. He asked Moore about the link between photos of starving Gazans and the recent news that several countries, including Canada, plan to recognize a Palestinian state. 

“Whether you agree or disagree with the policies of France, the U.K., they made those decisions within the context of talking about the humanitarian crisis of hunger in Gaza, a crisis caused mainly, not entirely, but mainly by a globally designated terrorist organization,” Moore answered. 

Sinai Temple runs an Israel center “established to forge an ever stronger link between Los Angeles Jewry and Israel,” according to its website. But even as most congregants identify as pro-Israel, or “Israel engaged,” as Sherman prefers to describe it, he told JI that the congregation is “a very diverse community” which, like other Jewish American communities, is wrestling with how much blame Israel bears in the Gaza crisis. 

“Rev. Moore is literally at the center of the most difficult and disturbing issue in the world at the moment, so how can we not engage in this conversation? The divisiveness in the Jewish community in America is very difficult and those two parts also need the opportunity to hear from each other,” Sherman told JI, referring to those who disagree on GHF’s approach. “This is a moment where we have to balance morality and conviction.” 

“We’re in the week of Tisha B’Av and when you look at the history of Jewish communities splintering, it’s no longer theoretical, it’s a real piece,” he said. 

“Rev. Moore has thanked us for the courage to bring him and I think that’s an important thing for speakers to understand, that it takes courage for communities to bring narratives that might not all be agreed with,” Sherman told JI, noting that he plans to bring Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, a Gazan outspoken against Hamas who heads the Atlantic Council’s Realign for Palestine project, as the synagogue’s next speaker. 

“Let’s see what he has to say,” said Sherman. “I’m interested in the narratives of people who wouldn’t necessarily be at my Shabbat table.”  

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) is circulating a letter to President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio among House lawmakers calling for the United States to recognize a Palestinian state.

Khanna, a prominent progressive voice in the House with aspirations for higher office, has become increasingly vocal in recent weeks about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and in his criticism of the pro-Israel lobby group AIPAC.

“We are writing to request that the United States officially recognize a Palestinian state, as this tragic moment has highlighted for the world the long overdue need to recognize Palestinian self-determination,” a draft version of the letter obtained by Jewish Insider reads. “Just as the lives of Palestinians must be immediately protected, so too must their rights as a people and nation urgently be acknowledged and upheld.”

The letter had nine co-signatories, in addition to Khanna, as of Thursday evening.

The signatories said they welcome French President Emmanuel Macron’s decision to recognize a Palestinian state, and urged other governments to do the same. The U.K. and Canada said this week that they intend to do so as well, given certain conditions.

“It has long been acknowledged by much of the international community and previous U.S. administrations of both major political parties that a Palestinian state recognized as a full and equal member of the community of nations is necessary to fulfill the legitimate national rights of the Palestinian people and ensure the state of Israel’s survival as the democratic homeland of the Jewish people,” the letter continues.

U.S. policy has long opposed the unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state outside of a negotiated two-state solution between the Israelis and Palestinians.

“A viable Palestinian state will need to fully recognize Israel and adopt a framework to guarantee Israel’s security, including the disarmament of and relinquishing of power by Hamas in order to be broadly embraced by the community of nations,” the letter continues. “We will need to work closely with the Palestinian people, the Palestinian Authority, our Arab allies, and Israel to make this feasible.”

The letter argues that “recognizing Palestinian statehood and obligating Palestinian leaders to abide by the international law binding on states and their governments will make that far more achievable and sustainable than decades of statelessness and repression have.”

The letter has been co-signed by Reps. Greg Casar (D-TX), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Veronica Escobar (D-TX), Maxwell Frost (D-FL), Al Green (D-TX), Jared Huffman (D-CA), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Mark Pocan (D-WI) and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) — all prominent progressive lawmakers in the House — since opening on Tuesday evening.

In a statement to JI, Khanna said, “This is the moment for the United States to officially recognize a Palestinian state. All 22 states in the Arab League this week called for a non Hamas Palestinian state that recognizes Israel.”

He said that his office had begun outreach on the issue this week, but did not plan to send the letter until the United Nations General Assembly in September, when France and others said they plan to formally recognize a Palestinian state. He described the response from his fellow lawmakers as “overwhelming.”

“It’s disappointing someone would leak the letter thinking it would sabotage the effort,” Khanna continued. “But you cannot sabotage an idea whose time has come.”

Khanna said in a memo to colleagues about the letter, “Recognition of Palestinian statehood — alongside continued efforts to secure Israel’s safety and guarantee its future as a democratic homeland for the Jewish people — is essential to achieving peace.”

He continued, “As the devastating toll of the war in Gaza continues to mount, this tragic moment has underscored the urgent need to acknowledge Palestinian self-determination and take meaningful steps toward a just and lasting resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”

Previously, a resolution supporting Palestinian statehood, introduced in the House by Green in December 2023, received five co-sponsors — Watson Coleman, Frost, Doggett, Escobar and Rep. Andre Carson (D-IN).

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) expressed strong concern about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza in an appearance on CNN’s “The Lead” on Wednesday.

Johnson’s comments, made days after President Donald Trump said that there is “real starvation” happening in Gaza, indicate growing concern even among pro-Israel Republicans about the humanitarian situation in Gaza, at the same time that such concerns on the Democratic side have reached new heights.

“I do hope it comes to an end soon,” Johnson said about the war in Gaza, “and we bring an end to this suffering and misery, because it is quite sad and quite alarming to see.”

He said that “we’ve got a humanitarian crisis in Gaza — I mean the pictures tell 1,000 words and it’s heartbreaking.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that there is “no starvation” happening in the enclave.

The House speaker said that he wants to see an end to the conflict and peace, adding that “President Trump is using a strong hand to try to forge that, and we’re moving in the right direction.” 

He also credited Israel with opening up new channels for aid and noted that the U.S. and its partners are going to work to provide additional aid as well.

Johnson did not mention Hamas, which some supporters of Israel argue should shoulder the blame for any aid shortages and the lack of a ceasefire in Gaza.

Johnson didn’t directly address a question from host Jake Tapper about whether he’s concerned that Israel is at risk of becoming a global pariah.

A group of 40 Senate Democrats, nearly all of the caucus, wrote to administration officials on Tuesday raising concerns about the humanitarian situation in Gaza and calling for a significant expansion of aid, describing the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation as a failure.

The letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, led by Sens. Adam Schiff (D-CA), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV), highlights the extent of the concern even among Democratic leaders and pro-Israel stalwarts.

“The acute humanitarian crisis in Gaza is … unsustainable and worsens by the day,” the lawmakers said. “Hunger and malnutrition are widespread, and, alarmingly, deaths due to starvation, especially among children, are increasing.”

The senators said that the Israeli- and American-backed GHF aid distribution system had “failed to address the deepening humanitarian crisis and contributed to an unacceptable and mounting civilian death toll around the organization’s sites.”

They argued that aid must be significantly expanded, including through “experienced multilateral bodies and NGOs that can get life-saving aid directly to those in need and prevent diversion.” Israel has argued that other aid distribution mechanisms, particularly those affiliated with the United Nations, have failed to effectively distribute aid and prevent Hamas diversion.

The letter further states that efforts to finalize a ceasefire in Gaza “are as critical and urgent as ever and we urge the resumption of good-faith talks as quickly as possible.” The administration walked away from talks with Hamas last week, saying that Hamas was not negotiating in good faith.

“There still remains a viable pathway to end this war, bring home Israeli hostages, and achieve a diplomatic resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” the senators asserted.

They emphasized that the living hostages in Gaza “have suffered too long, as have their families” and that “it is imperative that those still living be brought home as soon as possible, before more perish as the war drags on.” They also noted the need to return the bodies of deceased hostages.

The Democrats also voiced “our strong opposition to the permanent forced displacement of the Palestinian people” from Gaza, as has been floated by some Israeli and American leaders, calling such an outcome “antithetical to international humanitarian law,” to the security of Israelis and Palestinians, to lasting peace and to the expansion of the Abraham Accords.

They urged the administration to clearly reject such a plan.

“Beyond a negotiated ceasefire, a permanent end to this war will also require an end to Hamas rule in Gaza and ensuring that Hamas can no longer pose a serious military threat to Israel,” the letter continues. “We reaffirm our strong support for continued U.S.-led diplomacy with Israel, Palestinian leaders, and other partners in the Middle East in pursuit of the long-term goal of a negotiated two-state solution with Israelis and Palestinians living side by side in lasting peace, security, dignity, and mutual recognition.”

The only Senate Democrats who did not sign the letter were Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) — who has generally abstained from letters by other Democrats critical of Israel — as well as Sens. Andy Kim (D-NJ), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Tina Smith (D-MN) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) also did not sign.

It follows a letter earlier this week from 21 progressive Senate Democrats that more strongly condemned the GHF, describing it as a “private group supported by U.S. security contractors and connected to deadly violence against starving people seeking food in Gaza” that “blur[s] the lines between delivery of aid and security operations.” 

That letter called on the administration to “immediately cease all U.S. funding for GHF and resume support for the existing UN-led aid coordination mechanisms with enhanced oversight to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches civilians in need.”

The progressive lawmakers said that the GHF system is insufficient to replace the United Nations aid network and that it is facilitating efforts to displace Palestinians and depopulate Gaza, as well as highlighted incidents in which aid recipients were allegedly attacked at distribution sites.

The lawmakers said the administration had dodged legal and vetting requirements in its provision of aid to the GHF. They also argued that the American military contractors employed to guard the GHF sites are at risk from both Hamas and anti-Hamas militia forces in Gaza.

President Donald Trump decried the humanitarian situation in Gaza on Monday, telling reporters that he does “not particularly” agree with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s assessment that there is no starvation taking place in the enclave.

“That’s real starvation stuff,” Trump said, following a meeting in Scotland with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer. “I see it, and you can’t fake that.” 

Trump said the U.S. will be getting “even more involved” in taking steps toward addressing hunger in Gaza, including by setting up “food centers.” A White House spokesperson declined to comment when asked for specifics about what this plan might entail. Trump said “all of the European nations” would be part of the project. 

“We’re going to do it in conjunction with some very good people, and we’re going to supply funds,” said Trump.

Food distribution in Gaza is currently being operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which is backed by both the U.S. and Israel. The organization has faced criticism for failing to meet the needs of Gazans, and scenes of chaos at the gates of its distribution centers have spread online.

Without mentioning GHF by name, Trump appeared to take aim at the existing aid mechanisms, saying that the new “food centers” will not have fences to keep people out. 

“We’re also going to make sure that they don’t have barriers stopping people here. You’ve seen the areas where they actually have food, and the people are screaming for the food in there, they’re 35-40 yards away, and they won’t let them because they have lines that are set up,” said Trump. “And whether they’re set up by Hamas or whoever, but they’re very strict lines. We have to get rid of those lines.” 

Trump blamed Hamas for the failure of recent ceasefire talks and for prolonging the war, including the humanitarian crisis. The president’s comments come after European leaders have pressed Israel to allow a freer flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

“We have a good group of countries who can help with the humanitarian needs, which is food, sanitation, some other things. It’s very difficult to deal with Hamas,” said Trump. “Hamas has become very difficult to deal with in the last couple of days, because they don’t want to give up these last 20 [hostages], because they think as long as they have them, they have protection. But I don’t think it can work that way.” 

Fifty hostages remain in Gaza, and Israel believes at least 27 of them are dead. The most recent ceasefire proposal would only have seen the release of about half of the living hostages. 

Trump also said Iran played a role in the failure of ceasefire talks, saying Iran “interjected themselves in this last negotiation.” 

“I think they got involved in this negotiation, telling Hamas and giving Hamas signals and orders. And that’s not good,” Trump said. “For a country that just got wiped out, they’ve been sending very bad signals, very nasty signals. And they shouldn’t be doing that.”

In Israel’s effort to conduct a pressure campaign on Hamas to oust the terror group and release the remaining hostages held in Gaza, it has found itself instead on the receiving end of another global pressure campaign.

Facing mounting pressure amid a worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Israel over the weekend announced a series of measures aimed at alleviating the widespread malnutrition and security issues in the enclave, including temporary ceasefires, aid airdrops, facilitating a massive increase in Gaza’s water supply and establishing designated humanitarian corridors — even as the IDF called claims of starvation in Gaza “a false campaign promoted by Hamas” and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied that there was starvation in Gaza.

The crisis hit a fever pitch over the weekend as opposition to Israel’s efforts and limits on aid — first put into place in March as a pressure tactic to push Hamas to release the remaining hostages — surged to the highest levels of government around the world. 

Dozens of countries called for an end to the war, a restoration of the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza and the immediate release of the hostages. The shift in the political dynamic extended to Capitol Hill, where Democratic legislators, including many who have been strong supporters of Israel, expressed their concerns over Israel’s approach to the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

That backdrop led to a late-night announcement from the IDF’s on Saturday: “In accordance with directives from the political echelon and following a situational assessment held this evening, the IDF has begun a series of actions aimed at improving the humanitarian response in the Gaza Strip, and to refute the false claim of deliberate starvation in the Gaza Strip.”

On Israel’s most-watched news channel, Channel 12, journalists Almog Boker and Amit Segal described the move as a victory for Hamas after a successful propaganda campaign that captivated global opinion.

But not everyone agreed. On the same network, anchor Yonit Levi said, “It’s time to understand that this is not a failure of public diplomacy, but a moral failure.”

Domestically, the resumption of aid has the potential to cause divisions within Netanyahu’s coalition, whose right-wing members have in the past threatened to leave the coalition over moves that have been seen as concessions to Hamas.

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich — both vocal opponents of allowing aid into Gaza — were excluded from a phone call on Saturday during which the decision was taken to increase aid. According to Ben-Gvir, an official from the Prime Minister’s Office claimed he had been left out to avoid forcing him to violate Shabbat — which Ben-Gvir denied, saying he was “available on Shabbat for any event or important security consultation.”

Smotrich, for his part, reportedly said overnight that he will not quit the government over the decision.

Addressing the move on Sunday during a visit to an Israeli Air Force base, Netanyahu defended the decision, calling it a continuation of existing policy. He said that while continuing efforts to defeat Hamas and release the hostages, “we will need to continue to allow the entry of minimal humanitarian supplies. We have done this until now.”

Amid the cacophony of criticism, Israel has largely stayed in the good graces of the White House. President Donald Trump on Sunday said that “Israel is gonna have to make a decision” about what to do with Hamas. “I know what I’d do, but I don’t think it’s appropriate that I say it.” U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee slammed the United Nations, The New York Times and Hamas for the humanitarian crisis, saying that their “lies & propaganda destroyed cease-fire deal, tried to discredit safe and functioning GHF effort, emboldened Hamas & will result in this complete balagan! Most sad for hostage families-grief prolonged.”

The U.N. World Food Program, which has not shied away from criticizing Israeli government actions, praised the influx of aid, saying the agency has “enough food in – or on its way to – the region to feed the entire population of 2.1 million people for almost three months.”

But while the most immediate concerns are being allayed, Israel will have to face another crisis of its own making — attempting to restore its standing with many of its traditional allies.  

Indeed, when Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY), a pro-Israel stalwart, is sounding an alarm about his own frosty relationship with the Israeli government, it’s a glaring red flag about the state of Israel’s public diplomacy.

For European leaders who are ratcheting up pressure on Israel to end the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the Jewish state’s moves to pause military activity to allow a freer flow of humanitarian aid and begin airdrops of aid are “steps in the right direction,” the German foreign minister said on Sunday.

But the aid crisis is inextricably linked, observers say, to a much larger and even thornier issue — a deal to end the grinding 21-month war with Hamas and a release of the hostages. Until such a deal is struck, the pressure from Europe, and from some inside Israel, likely won’t ease. And it could worsen, with some experts warning that European sanctions on Israel aren’t out of the question.

Daniel Shek, a former Israeli ambassador to France and a member of the Hostage Families Forum’s diplomatic team, said that the aid airdrops are “a result of international pressure and not sudden altruism.”

However, Shek said, they are “like Tylenol for a cancer patient. Surgery is needed, meaning the end of the war.” 

A spokesperson for German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that he is “prepared to increase the pressure if progress [on a ceasefire and humanitarian aid] is not made.”

French President Emmanuel Macron announced last week that his country would recognize a Palestinian state. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot argued that the move “proves [Hamas] wrong. It supports the side of peace against that of war,” because “Hamas has always rejected the two-state solution.” 

The terrorist group praised France’s “positive step in the right direction.” 

England and Germany declined to join France in recognizing a Palestinian state, but their leaders released a statement with Macron focusing on the “humanitarian catastrophe” in Gaza and calling for “the most basic needs of the civilian population, including access to water and food [to be] met without further delay” and for Israel “to immediately lift restrictions on the flow of aid.” 

Israel has argued that it is not restricting the flow of aid into Gaza, but that the U.N. refuses to cooperate with the U.S. and Israel supported Gaza Humanitarian Foundation to distribute it.

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that he is “unequivocal” in his support for a Palestinian state, but that recognition must come as “part of a wider plan which ultimately results in a two-state solution and lasting security for Palestinians and Israelis. This is the way to ensure it is a tool of maximum utility.” 

The IDF noted that “responsibility for food distribution to the population lies with the U.N. and international aid organizations. Therefore, the U.N. and international organizations are expected to improve the effectiveness of aid distribution and to ensure that the aid does not reach Hamas.”

Israel initiated on Sunday 10-hour “pauses” in the coming days in areas of Gaza in which there are no IDF ground troops, daily until further notice, “aimed at improving the humanitarian response in the Gaza Strip and to refute the false claim of deliberate starvation.” 

In addition to 28 airdrops on the first day, the IDF established corridors to allow the safe movement of U.N. convoys of food and medicine. The military also noted that “responsibility for food distribution to the population lies with the U.N. and international aid organizations. Therefore, the U.N. and international organizations are expected to improve the effectiveness of aid distribution and to ensure that the aid does not reach Hamas.”

Starmer, however, said after the airdrops were announced on Saturday that “Israel must allow aid in over land…The situation is desperate.” 

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said that “humanitarian pauses and aid deliveries into Gaza are steps in the right direction, results of many direct conversations in the last few days. Yet the situation remains unbearable: Hamas must release all hostages, a comprehensive ceasefire is badly needed.” 

Starmer reportedly plans to ask President Donald Trump to return to ceasefire talks with Hamas, during the president’s visit to Scotland on Monday. A source in his office told The Guardian over the weekend that Starmer will “discuss further with [Trump] what more can be done to secure the ceasefire urgently, bring an end to the unspeakable suffering and starvation in Gaza and free the hostages who have been held so cruelly for so long.” 

The U.S. and Israel withdrew their teams from the negotiations in Doha, Qatar, last week, after Hamas rejected a ceasefire and hostage deal by making new demands in areas that had previously been resolved. U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff said that Washington was looking for “alternative options,” which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later echoed.

Germany similarly remained concerned about the humanitarian situation in Gaza, with Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul saying that “humanitarian pauses and aid deliveries into Gaza are steps in the right direction, results of many direct conversations in the last few days. Yet the situation remains unbearable: Hamas must release all hostages, a comprehensive ceasefire is badly needed.” 

Merz and Netanyahu spoke on the phone on Sunday. Following the call, Merz said he asked Netanyahu “to do everything in his power to bring about an immediate ceasefire and called on him to allow urgently needed humanitarian aid to reach the starving civilian population in Gaza without delay.” 

Israel is taking a different approach to each major European capital and its statements and actions on Israel, a Foreign Ministry source told Jewish Insider.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry summoned the French charge d’affaires for a demarche by Director-General Eden Bar-Tal on Sunday. A statement from the ministry said that France “chose to harm Israel in its most difficult hour…France directly harmed the negotiations to return the hostages and for a ceasefire and all future diplomatic negotiations.”

Soon after Macron’s announcement on Thursday, Netanyahu said that it “rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy, just as Gaza became. A Palestinian state in these conditions would be a launch pad to annihilate Israel — not to live in peace beside it. Let’s be clear: the Palestinians do not seek a state alongside Israel; they seek a state instead of Israel.”

If the war continues, Daniel Shek, a former Israeli ambassador to France and a member of the Hostage Families Forum’s diplomatic team, warned, “we could find ourselves under real pressure, such as sanctions, even from friendly countries that blocked [such steps] until now. Israel is isolating itself.”

Though Berlin has continued to make critical statements, the Foreign Ministry source indicated that Jerusalem still views Germany as a largely supportive country. 

The source noted that while there was significant domestic pressure over Germany’s Israel policy, it has not backed down, such as last week when Berlin declined to join a letter of 28 countries calling to end the war immediately. 

In addition, Germany did not support moves to reexamine Israel’s “association agreement” with the EU, which could result in a chill in relations between Israel and its largest trade partner. Changes in the association agreement would require consensus from all 28 EU member states, several of whom would be unlikely to support downgrading ties with Israel.

Wadephul and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar have met three times since the former entered office three months ago. In one of the meetings he said that Germany would not cut off arms sales to Israel. 

Emmanuel Navon, an international relations lecturer at Tel Aviv University and fellow at the Jerusalem Institute for Security Studies, said that the aid drops would likely be enough to stop Germany from taking action against Israel.

“I find it hard to believe that Germany, who we have very close ties with, would do something like [downgrade the association agreement] unless Israel has totally cut off humanitarian aid … For German public agreement, you need aid flowing into Gaza,” he added.

Shek was skeptical that Germany would follow Macron in recognizing a Palestinian state, but said “even Germany is showing signs of impatience and urgency,” and that there are other steps that Berlin could take.

The former ambassador also said he thought that canceling the EU-Israel Association Agreement was unlikely, because Hungary and Eastern European states would not support it. However, he said that the Brussels bureaucracy could slow-walk agreements and cooperation with Jerusalem in areas that often depend on EU grants such as scientific research and culture.

If the war continues, Shek warned, “we could find ourselves under real pressure, such as sanctions, even from friendly countries that blocked [such steps] until now. Israel is isolating itself.”

That being said, Shek and Navon doubted that the latest moves from Europe actually constituted pressure on Jerusalem. 

Shek dismissed angry Israeli reactions to Macron’s “recognition of a virtual Palestinian state state that doesn’t exist … Those reactions are only aimed at the Israeli voter and have no value in international relations.” 

“We need to say Hamas is looting and the U.N. won’t distribute the aid — we don’t need to wait to be accused of starving [Gazans] to say it,” said Emmanuel Navon, an international relations lecturer at Tel Aviv University and fellow at the Jerusalem Institute for Security Studies. “The problem is that we wait to be attacked and then we react. Once the accusation is out, it’s hard to correct.”

Navon noted that other G7 countries were not on board with Macron’s initiatives, even those with left-wing governments like the U.K. and Canada.

“Macron has brought relations with Israel to the low of the early to mid 1970s … when France was graded as hostile in Israel’s foreign policy,” Navon said. “It will take years to repair after [Macron].” 

Navon said that Israel needs to be more proactive in communicating what is happening in Gaza: “We need to say Hamas is looting and the U.N. won’t distribute the aid — we don’t need to wait to be accused of starving [Gazans] to say it. The problem is that we wait to be attacked and then we react. Once the accusation is out, it’s hard to correct.”

In addition, Navon said, “Netanyahu needs to get his act together and tell his ministers to shut up or take away their phones.”

He referred to remarks by Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu in a radio interview last week that “the government is racing ahead to wipe out Gaza … All of Gaza will be Jewish.” 

“The prime minister has to have better control of rogue members of his government and party who are causing us terrible damage,” Navon added.

Shek, however, said the way to improve Israel’s relations with Europe and the rest of the world is to end the war in Gaza.

The former ambassador argued that the issue is not one of Israel doing a poor job at explaining the situation to the world: “If all of these countries have reached the conclusion that the war needs to end, then Israel needs to have a discussion with them to find out how they can contribute to a better reality after the war … We need to just get into a conversation about an exit strategy … which is something that the Israeli government has refused to do from Oct. 8, 2023, to this day.” 

Amid reports of a mounting hunger crisis in Gaza, some of Israel’s staunchest defenders in the Democratic Party are now calling for Israel to do more to get humanitarian aid to Gazans — a signal that deteriorating conditions in the enclave are shifting public opinion even among those firmly in the pro-Israel camp.  

In a series of Friday statements, two major pro-Israel Democratic groups and a top Jewish Democrat in Congress raised concerns about what Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL) described as “undeniably dire” circumstances in Gaza.

“Israel must take immediate action to ensure sufficient food gets into the territory and to the people in desperate need. The world must not turn a blind eye to the fact that children are starving because of this war,” Schneider said in a statement. “It is Israel’s responsibility, and within its capacity, to address and resolve the situation.”

Israel has said the United Nations is to blame for conditions in the Gaza Strip, alleging that the agency is responsible for failing to distribute much of the assistance. The U.N. has blamed Israel for not giving agency officials the necessary approvals to reach the aid piled up on the Gaza side of Israel’s border crossings. 

Israel’s backers in Washington have generally agreed with Israeli leaders that the U.N. and Hamas, which Israel has accused of stealing aid, share the blame for the humanitarian situation in Gaza. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee told Jewish Insider on Thursday that Hamas is the “biggest reason that people are not getting the food and medicine they need.” 

But that patience appears to be growing thin among some Democratic allies. 

Democratic Majority for Israel CEO Brian Romick said Friday that even though Hamas has no interest in mitigating human suffering in Gaza, Israel still has a responsibility to help starving children.

“Even as Hamas works to prolong this war and prevent food from getting to people in need, Israel — along with the United States, Egypt, Qatar, and the rest of the international community — must continue to work to get food to innocent children in Gaza,” Romick said in a statement. 

Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) called out Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL) for a post in which Fine called for the release of the hostages, writing “until then, starve away.”

“Telling Palestinians in Gaza to ‘starve away’ is an evil thing to say,” Torres wrote on X on Thursday. 

Halie Soifer, the CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, expressed “deep concern for Israel’s security, international standing and future as a Jewish and democratic state” while calling “for immediate steps to alleviate the dire and growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.”

“The situation in Gaza is unacceptable and antithetical to our Jewish values, and it’s incumbent on the Israeli government, the United States and all parties to ensure that Gazans have access to food,” Soifer said in a statement. 

The rhetorical shift comes as Israeli reporters acknowledge that the humanitarian situation in Gaza has grown worse in recent weeks.

“​​Gaza may well be approaching a real hunger crisis,” Israeli journalist Amit Segal wrote in The Free Press on Thursday. “There have been tremendous lies told about Israel’s war. That doesn’t mean the threat of starvation isn’t real. It is.”  

Times of Israel editor David Horovitz wrote this week that Israel shoulders some blame for the suffering in Gaza, having refused to distribute the aid itself while at the same time putting untrained Israeli soldiers in charge of controlling access to humanitarian aid sites run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation — which has led to the deaths of Palestinians converging on the crowded aid sites.