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4d ago

Van Hollen and Merkley Say Israel Is Ethnically Cleansing Gaza, Accuse U.S. of Complicity

Their field report argues documented aid blockages signal a campaign to make life in Gaza unsustainable.

U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley (white cap) (D-OR) and U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (blue cap) (D-MD) with North Sinai Governor Maj. Gen. Khaled Megaour inspect the Rafah border crossing to observe aid efforts related to the war in Gaza on August 30, 2025 in Rafah, Egypt.
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Overview

  • In a 19-page report after a regional visit, the senators say Israel is pursuing a two-pronged strategy of razing civilian infrastructure and weaponizing humanitarian aid to drive Palestinians out.
  • World Food Programme officials told the lawmakers that 2,200 containers of food remain stuck at Israel’s Ashdod port due to pallet-by-pallet screening procedures.
  • Aid officials reported sudden bans on items such as peanut butter, honey, dates and wheelchairs, a new $400-per-truck processing fee, and United Nations videos showing convoys coming under fire.
  • From the Egyptian side of the border, the senators observed Rafah reduced to rubble and heard from former IDF soldiers who described participating in systematic destruction of civilian sites.
  • Citing United Nations figures of at least 100 famine deaths, the report calls for an immediate ceasefire and penalties on those enforcing displacement, as 27 Senate Democrats recently opposed new U.S. arms transfers to Israel.