Democrats urge Donald Trump to take stronger action on Gaza humanitarian crisis

Senate Democrats are imploring President Donald Trumps administration to step up its role in addressing suffering and starvation in Gaza with more than 40 senators signing onto a letter Tuesday urging the resumption of ceasefire talks and sharply criticizing an Israelibacked American organization that had been created to distribute food aidIn a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the Republican presidents special envoy Steve Witkoff the senators said the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation created in February with backing from the Trump administration has failed to address the deepening humanitarian crisis and contributed to an unacceptable and mounting civilian death toll around the organizations sitesIt marked a mostly united plea from Senate Democrats who are locked out of power in Washington for the Trump administration to recalibrate its approach after the collapse of ceasefire talks last week Trump on Monday broke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying he wanted him to make sure they get the food in Gaza and referencing the images of hungry childrenTrump on Monday said that the US would set up food centers to address the worsening humanitarian crisis but he did not offer any details White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly followed up with a statement that said details would be forthcoming and that Trump wants to alleviate suffering for the people of Gaza because he has a humanitarian heartThe White House and the State Department on Tuesday still had no details about the plans for food centers State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce defended Gaza Humanitarian Foundations work at a briefing and said the president would announce new plans once he returns from his trip to ScotlandThe issue here is getting more food more access more everything That has always been at the top of our list Bruce said but declined to discuss specifics about the situation GOP Sen Jim Risch chair of the Senate Foreign Relations committee confirmed Tuesday that had been briefed on the food centers but he declined to provide more details on themStill Democrats were calling for a largescale expansion of aid into Gaza channeled through organizations experienced working in the area Democratic Sen Brian Schatz of Hawaii said that changes to the way Israel allows aid into Gaza were at fault adding that it was not at all credible to think the Israeli military one of the most advanced in the world is incapable of facilitating aid distribution or performing crowd controlThey made a choice to establish a new way of doing food distribution he said And its not working at all Another Democratic member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Sen Tim Kaine of Virginia said he had not yet heard anything about the centers and that hes very skeptical that Trumps plans will address the issue of starvation in GazaCould the US set up food centers Yes but what about the World Food Program Mercy Corps and all the groups have been doing it for decades Why dont we allow them to do it Kaine told The Associated PressThe letter also says efforts for a ceasefire agreement are as critical and urgent as ever The message was led by four Jewish members of the Democratic Caucus Sens Adam Schiff of California Chuck Schumer of New York Jacky Rosen of Nevada and Schatz and calls for the return of the roughly 50 hostages 20 still believed to be alive held by Hamas since its Oct 7 2023 attackThe signatures from 44 senators the vast majority of the Senate Democratic Caucus on the letter show the extent to which Democrats have achieved some unity on a foreign policy issue that deeply divided them while they held the White House last year They called for an end to the war that sees Hamas no longer in control of Gaza and a longterm goal of both an Israeli and a Palestinian state and opposed any permanent displacement of the Palestinian peopleSchiff said the letter showed how most in the caucus believe that the current situation is just unsustainable Theres just too much heartbreak and death too much hunger and loss of life he addedMeanwhile Republicans are backing Trumps handling of the situation and supporting Israel Sen John Cornyn a Texas Republican who sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said he was satisfied with Trump trying to referee that but the Israelis need to get their hostages backStill images of the worsening hunger crisis in Gaza seemed to be reaching some Republican members of Congress Over the weekend farright Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia who routinely calls for an end to foreign aid said on social media what has been happening to innocent people and children in Gaza is horrific This war and humanitarian crisis must endFor Schatz it was a sign many Americans do care about suffering in other parts of the world even after Trump won the election with America First foreign policy goals and kickstarted his administration by demolishing US foreign aid programsThey are seeing images of chaos images of suffering that are either caused by the United States or at least could have been prevented by the United States Schatz said And it is redounding negatively to the presidentThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever