Gottheimer wraps bipartisan intelligence trip to Israel, emphasizes hostage recovery, humanitarian aid and national security
ISRAEL – U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ-5) departed Israel on Wednesday after co-leading a bipartisan congressional delegation with House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rick Crawford (R-AR-1) and Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX-13) to assess security, humanitarian, and diplomatic developments in the region.
The delegation was part of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and included a range of high-level meetings and site visits in Israel and the West Bank.
During the trip, the members visited an aid staging site near the Gaza border to evaluate ongoing efforts to deliver humanitarian supplies directly to civilians in Gaza. They also received a security update from the Israel Defense Forces and toured Kibbutz Kfar Aza, where more than 60 residents were killed in an October 7 Hamas attack.
While in Israel, the lawmakers met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Mossad Director David Barnea, and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, as well as embassy officials. They also met with families of hostages held by Hamas, including the family of Evyatar David, who has been held captive for 670 days.
In Ramallah, the delegation met with senior officials from the Palestinian Authority, continuing efforts to gather perspective on the political and humanitarian situation.
The delegation’s agenda focused heavily on the Gaza conflict and the broader threat landscape, including discussions on Hamas, Hezbollah, and other Iranian-backed militant groups in the region. Officials also addressed strategies to prevent diversion of aid by Hamas and to promote safe, direct humanitarian relief via groups like the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
“It was vital to be on the ground to understand exactly what needs to be done to bring every hostage home, surge aid to innocent civilians, and eliminate Hamas’ grip on Gaza,” said Gottheimer. “Seeing it firsthand provided clarity about the stakes for both regional stability and America’s national security.”
Gottheimer reiterated his call for bipartisan commitment to Israel’s security and humanitarian support in the region. He also emphasized the importance of addressing disinformation by continuing engagement with U.S. and international partners.
“By promoting security and stability in the Middle East, the United States strengthens our own security,” Gottheimer said.
