Democratic U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a member of the U.S. senate armed services committee and of the U.S. senate committee on intelligence, is calling on the Biden administration to contribute to the United Nations’ emergency appeal of $294 million to address the immediate humanitarian needs in the West Bank and Gaza in Palestine, in the wake of an escalation of violence in the region following the Hamas attacks on Israel on Saturday, Oct. 7. Gillibrand is joined by 33 of her colleagues in the push, which is led by U.S. Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut.

 

Gillibrand said during a virtual press conference on Oct. 18, “With each new day, we see more evidence of human suffering, and the lives of families and communities that have been torn apart by violence, and innocent civilians suffering and dying because of intolerance and hate.”

 

She added, “All across the world, communities are grieving. Many are uniting to condemn the escalating violence, but sadly many more are adding fuel to the flames.” She made reference to swastikas displayed in California and New York last week, and the tragic case of the 6-year-old Muslim boy who was stabbed to death in Illinois earlier this week, among other examples of hatred.

In their letter to the Biden administration, the senators collectively wrote, “As a result of the ongoing conflict in Israel and Gaza prompted by Hamas’ horrific terror attacks, more than 1.2 million people are in urgent need of lifesaving humanitarian assistance. More than one million people have fled the violence, stretching the already strained ability of the United Nations and humanitarian partners on the ground to provide the food, medical treatment, and shelter they need to survive.”

They continued, “We support Israel’s right to defend its people against the brutal attacks carried out by Hamas. Hamas knew that the Israeli government would have to respond to the unconscionable murder and hostage-taking of its citizens and thus bears the blame for initiating this conflict. We also know there are many innocent Palestinians in Gaza who do not support Hamas and urgently need help as they seek to flee the fighting.”

They went on to highlight what they described as the dire situation facing innocent civilians in Gaza, saying, “More than one million people in Gaza have fled their homes in search of safety, with nearly half of those taking shelter in UN facilities. The United Nations estimates that Gaza will run out of food and water within days. Healthcare facilities are overwhelmed, running desperately short on supplies and impacted by the lack of electricity. The humanitarian needs on the ground have dramatically increased over the past week, and conditions will likely continue to deteriorate in the days and weeks ahead.”

The senators concluded, “We therefore urge you to join the international community in answering the call from the United Nations by contributing toward this lifesaving $294 million appeal, and ask that you work with the UN and its partners to ensure that the assistance reaches the intended recipients without diversion or delay.”

 

In addition to Gillibrand and Murphy, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Tom Carper (D-DE), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tina Smith (D-MN), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Peter Welch (D-VT), Bob Casey (D-PA), Patty Murray (D-WA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Gary Peters (D-MI), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Mark Warner (D-VA), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Ed Markey (D-MA), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD).

The letter is available to read in full here.

As reported, State Sen. Gustavo Rivera (S.D. 33), Brooklyn-based State Sen. Julia Salazar (S.D. 18), and Brooklyn-based Assembly Member Emily Gallagher (A.D. 50) introduced Bill S7716 on Wednesday, Oct. 18, to allow New York State to financially reimburse New Yorkers who are trying to evacuate from Israel and the Palestinian territories during the ongoing crisis in the Middle East since tensions escalated on Saturday, Oct. 7, following an attack by Hamas on southern Israel, which prompted a bombing of the Gaza Strip by the Israel Defense Authority.

 

Meanwhile, the NYPD issued a statement in response to escalation of tensions and violence in Israel and Palestine, which prompted a “wartime visit” to the region by U.S. President Joe Biden this week, as reported by the Associated Press.

 

CBS News reported on Oct. 18 that Palestinian officials say Israel’s bombardment of Gaza has killed about 3,000 people and wounded around 12,500 others, a majority of them women and children [since Oct. 7]. Meanwhile, in Israel, officials say Hamas’ terror attack and ongoing rocket attacks have killed some 1,400 people and wounded 3,500 others. The outlet reported that Hamas is said to be holding almost 200 hostages.

 

The Associated Press reported on Oct. 17 that the explosion at the al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza left gruesome scenes. “Video that The Associated Press confirmed was from the hospital showed fire engulfing the building and the hospital grounds strewn with torn bodies, many of them young children,” according to the report. “The grass around them was strewn with blankets, school backpacks and other belongings.” According to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), “Islamic Jihadists are responsible for the tragedy [on Oct. 17] – a hospital in Gaza was struck by a misfired rocket.”

Click here, here, and here to read our previous coverage on this topic, on the reaction from various local clubs and elected officials to the initial Oct. 7 attacks, as well as some background context to the conflict, and our separate story on a vigil held in the Fieldston section of The Bronx the day after the initial Hamas attacks. In the meantime, we have also covered reaction from Palestinians and their supporters to Israel’s response to the attacks. Further stories will follow.

For those wishing to donate to help humanitarian efforts in the region, UNICEF is coordinating aid for those affected by the conflict.