WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) on Monday led a group of Members of Congress in a letter to United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, urging him to request a resolution from the UN Security Council authorizing the deployment of peacekeepers to protect humanitarian aid convoys in Gaza.
The letter comes at the start of the eightieth session of the high-level General Debate as part of the United Nations General Assembly.
The Members stressed that despite the difficult security situation, the UN is failing to ensure aid reaches civilians. According to the UN’s own figures, nearly 90% of aid trucks are diverted or looted by Hamas or desperate civilians before reaching families in need. Over the weekend, Hamas terrorists were seen looting trucks filled with nutritional assistance for malnourished children.
“Please do not continue to allow aid trucks to be robbed by Hamas while civilians struggle to get food. As we know, Hamas diverts and sells aid and is not focused on feeding innocent Palestinian families and children,” the Members of Congress wrote in the letter to United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres.
The Members continued, “According to the UN’s own figures, nearly 90 percent of trucks carrying UN aid are diverted or looted before reaching civilians. This has led to huge issues. To be blunt this is beyond a breakdown in logistics. It is a failure of the UN to execute its mission.”
The letter, led by Gottheimer, was also signed by Jim Costa (CA-21), Henry Cuellar (TX-28), Laura Gillen (NY-4), Vincente Gonzalez (TX-34), Greg Landsman (OH-1), George Latimer (NY-16), Susie Lee (NV-3), Jared Moskowitz (FL-23), Donald Norcross (NJ-1), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Brad Schneider (IL-10), Darren Soto (FL-9), Tom Suozzi (NY-3), and Juan Vargas (CA-52).
