Congressman Brad Sherman Statement on the Escalating Hunger in Gaza

Washington, DC — Today, Congressman Brad Sherman (CA-32) released the following statement:

“The ongoing hunger crisis in Gaza is tragic, and all must come together to reverse it immediately. Israel, the United Nations, and all NGOs operating in Gaza must work to surge humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza – not Hamas or criminal gangs, who exacerbate this hunger crisis by reselling free aid for astronomical prices in local markets. The best way to undercut this criminal enterprise is to flood Gaza with food aid and eliminate scarcity. 

I welcome the steps Israel has taken, including instituting humanitarian pauses and conducting airdrops of aid. However, these steps alone are not sufficient – it is clear that the current aid delivery system needs to be scaled up to adequately meet the needs in Gaza. That includes significantly increasing the number of Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s distribution sites to prevent crowding, establishing safer distribution processes, and distributing higher quantities of aid each and every day. 

I also call on all UN agencies and NGOs delivering aid to stop playing politics and work with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation to improve the aid delivery process – all mechanisms to feed Gazans should be pursued, and there shouldn't be a turf war between the traditional aid agencies and the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. 

Of particular concern is the scores of truckloads of food that are sitting inside Gaza but not being distributed by aid organizations. Israel has agreed to distribute this food inside Gaza or to allow the World Food Program and other aid organizations to distribute it within Gaza. Yet the World Food Program and others are unwilling to distribute the food within Gaza or let Israel do so. 

The fastest way to alleviate the suffering of Gazans and the hostages is for Hamas to release the hostages and lay down its arms and depart for Iran or another country willing to accept them. This would pave the way for legitimate Arab-led governance and allowing Gaza to be rebuilt. 

Those who criticize Israel but are silent in the face of Hamas’s starvation of hostages like Evyatar David and fail to place any pressure or accountability on Hamas only embolden Hamas’s continued rejection of ceasefire offers and encourage them to carry on with the fighting. Hamas must be defeated, and Israel and all aid agencies must work together to surge aid into Gaza immediately and alleviate this crisis.” 

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