US Sen. Brian Schatz on Tuesday urged Israel to immediately allow rescue equipment, building materials and winter supplies into Gaza after deadly flooding affected thousands of Palestinians.
Speaking on the Senate floor, Schatz said heavy rainfall over the weekend flooded more than 70,000 tents in Gaza, leaving four people dead, including three children and a woman.
"Nearly everyone in the area needs help. This is a humanitarian emergency unfolding in real time, and the Israeli government's ongoing blockade of fuel and the destruction of equipment has made getting help to people much more difficult. This is not a partisan accusation," Schatz said.
He also cited criticism from US President Donald Trump's Board of Peace, which described the Israeli government's response as "insufficient."
According to Schatz, the board also said delays had worsened the consequences of a foreseeable humanitarian crisis.
"Winter is just beginning in Gaza, and things will get worse without urgent action. The Israeli government must immediately allow rescue equipment, building materials, and winter supplies into Gaza," the senator said.
Schatz stressed that disagreements over the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict should not prevent efforts to address the immediate suffering of civilians.
He highlighted the plight of children exposed to freezing temperatures and families whose shelters had been damaged by heavy rainfall.
"We don't need to agree about everything else before we help these people. We should help them because they are people," he said.
