Senator Coons, colleagues urge Trump to press for immediate resumption of humanitarian aid to Gaza and return to Israel-Gaza hostage and ceasefire negotiations

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), along with Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) led a letter of 25 Democratic senators to President Trump in advance of the president's upcoming travel to the Middle East next week, urging him to take an active role in pressing for humanitarian aid and a return to ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas in order to ensure Israel's security and end more than 15 months of devastating conflict in Gaza.

When Trump took office, the January 15 ceasefire deal negotiated under the presidential transition of the Biden administration was in effect--30 Israeli hostages were reunited with their families, Hamas' military capacity had been effectively obliterated, and humanitarian aid was reaching Gaza. In the months since Trump's inauguration, however, negotiations towards long-term regional security have collapsed, and dozens of hostages remain imprisoned by Hamas.

Before next week's visit, the senators wrote to President Trump that "the United States is not providing much needed leadership to drive peace forward in the region." President Trump's planned visit to the region does not include a stop in Israel. He has chosen to conclude a truce with Houthi terrorists even as they pledge to continue striking Israel. He also appears to be turning a blind eye towards the core task of ensuring Israel's security for today and for the long term.

The senators described Gaza's catastrophic humanitarian crisis under a months-long blockade of aid. More than 116,000 metric tons of food assistance have been stuck outside Gaza, and an estimated 90 percent of Gaza's population face high levels of acute food and water insecurity. According to the United Nations, most civilians face emergency or crisis levels of hunger.

This week, Israel also announced its intent to expand military operations and pursue a long-term occupation of Gaza. "The announcement has already escalated tensions in the Middle East, once again threatening to engulf the volatile region in conflict," wrote the senators. "The Houthis struck Israel's Ben Gurion airport on May 4 and have vowed to further retaliate against the proposed occupation. Jordan, one of our most important regional security partners, is facing intensifying pressure amid continued public anger over Gaza. Saudi Arabia has made it clear there can be no progress towards normalization with Israel without a pathway toward Palestinian statehood."

"Israel's proposed occupation plans take us further away from permanently ending the Israel-Gaza war and upholding Israel's security, both goals that you have promised to achieve under your administration," the senators added.

Specifically, the senators asked Trump to press all parties to agree to a deal that:

1. Secures the immediate release of all remaining hostages
2. Ushers in a ceasefire
3. Works towards the creation of a security force backed by Arab partners to administer Gaza without Hamas
4. Creates a path toward a lasting solution that will allow the Israeli and Palestinian people to live in security, dignity, and prosperity

The senators ended the letter by reaffirming their unequivocal commitment to Israel's security and its right to defend itself.

"It has been nearly 20 months since Hamas murdered more than 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages, including American citizens," the senators concluded. "This period has also been marked by severe humanitarian suffering of civilians in Gaza, where more than 52,000 Palestinians have been killed and millions displaced. All of us are longstanding advocates of the U.S.-Israel security partnership, and we will continue to fight for the defense of the Israeli people. That is why, today, we stand with the nearly three-quarters of the Israeli public who are fighting for the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza in exchange for a ceasefire."

In addition to Senator Coons, Reed, Schatz, Shaheen, and Warner, the letter is signed by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.).

Senator Coons is the Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

You can read the full letter here.