October 27, 2023

Warren, Murphy, Van Hollen, Schatz, Welch, Merkley Call for Fuel Deliveries to Hospitals and Water Treatment Centers in Gaza

“To prevent a potential health crisis and help save countless lives, we believe it is possible to transport fuel directly to these hospitals, desalination plants, and water pumping stations.”

Washington, D.C.  – United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.), along with 19 of her Senate colleagues, released the following statement: 

“We condemn Hamas’ horrific terrorist attacks against Israel, for which Israel must hold Hamas accountable. In the course of that endeavor, every effort must be made to protect innocent civilians. Right now, hospitals in Gaza are hours away from running out of fuel that powers ventilators, incubators for babies, and other lifesaving equipment, and diseases are rapidly spreading without power to treat and pump clean drinking water. To prevent a potential health crisis and help save countless lives, we believe it is possible to transport fuel directly to these hospitals, desalination plants, and water pumping stations with full transparency to prevent diversion to Hamas. There are extensive oversight mechanisms in place that will track the fuel deliveries directly to the intended sites where they can be used immediately to prevent the deaths of innocent civilians, including babies and children. We encourage the Biden administration to work with our Israeli, Egyptian, and UN partners to enable these lifesaving deliveries,”

Senators Warren, Merkley, Schatz, Murphy, Van Hollen, and Welch were joined by Senators Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Tom Carper (D-Del.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Angus King (I-Maine), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Cory Booker (D-N.J), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), and John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.).

Senator Warren has been a consistent advocate for humanitarian concerns in the Israel-Hamas War:

  • In October 2023, Senators Warren, Merkley, Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Markey, Murphy, Sanders, Smith, Van Hollen, Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), and Welch released a statement calling for a humanitarian pause and the unconditional release of all hostages in the Israel-Hamas War.‘

  • In October 2023, Senator Warren and Senator Murphy, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia and Counterterrorism, led 32 of their Senate colleagues in urging the Biden administration to lead the international community in contributing to the United Nations’ emergency appeal of $294 million to address the immediate humanitarian needs in the West Bank and Gaza.

  • In October 2023, Senators Warren, Markey, and Shaheen wrote a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan urging them to do everything possible to provide assistance to U.S. citizens fleeing the Gaza Strip, including constituents from New England. In the letter, the Senators expressed concern about Americans who remain in Israel and Gaza, including a family from Medway, Massachusetts who is stuck in Gaza. 

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