With Gaza Facing Starvation, Virginia Sens. Warner and Kaine Press for U.S. Action

With Gaza on the brink of famine, U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, D-Va., are backing a renewed Senate push calling on President Donald Trump’s administration to take urgent diplomatic action to deliver food and emergency aid to civilians trapped in the war-torn enclave.

The two lawmakers joined 27 of their Senate colleagues in introducing a resolution urging the administration to mobilize all available diplomatic tools to break the Israeli blockade that has prevented lifesaving assistance from reaching Palestinian civilians.

The measure comes amid reports of a worsening humanitarian disaster, with tens of thousands of children at risk of starvation and thousands already suffering from acute malnutrition.

“Every day that innocent civilians, including children, are going without access to food, clean water, or necessary medical care, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens,” Warner said in a statement.

Warner said it is the responsibility of Israeli authorities to ensure that emergency food and humanitarian aid can reach Palestinian civilians. He added that as lawmakers continue to press for a full ceasefire and the return of all remaining hostages, “the Trump administration must work to ensure that innocent people are not left to die because of inaction.”

Kaine, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, echoed Warner’s urgency and emphasized the need for international aid organizations to be allowed to operate freely in the region.

He stressed that “the Israeli government must immediately lift any blockades on food and emergency aid and allow credible international organizations to facilitate the swift delivery of lifesaving aid to civilians in Gaza.”

Kaine also emphasized the need to keep pushing for a ceasefire agreement that would bring hostages home and open the door to increased humanitarian assistance, calling it “the only durable path to a resolution of this crisis.”

Since March 2, the Israeli government has blocked all food and emergency aid —  medicine, infant formula, fuel and other essential supplies — from reaching civilians in Gaza. That same month, the United Nations reported the closure of all 25 World Food Program-supported bakeries in the region due to lack of fuel and wheat.

The conflict began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people and taking over 250 hostages. In response, Israel initiated a large-scale military campaign in Gaza, including air strikes and a ground invasion, with the stated objective of dismantling Hamas and securing the release of hostages.

Since then, the conflict has resulted in more than 52,000 Palestinian deaths, widespread destruction and the displacement of nearly all of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents. The ongoing blockade and military operations have severely exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in the region.

Emergency food parcels meant to last two weeks have been depleted, and malnutrition is spreading rapidly among children, with an estimated 10,000 already affected since January. “Once you get to that stage, without treatment, you will die,” warned Dr. Margaret Harris, a spokesperson for the UN health agency.

Harris added that the number of children receiving care in Gaza’s partially functioning hospitals is lower than anticipated — likely because many are unable to reach medical facilities at all.

WHO data also shows that one in five children is unable to complete treatment, a consequence of ongoing displacement and the unstable, chaotic conditions on the ground.

The Senate resolution does not impose new policy but aims to intensify diplomatic pressure on both the Israeli government and the Trump administration to take immediate steps to allow aid to flow, and to secure a broader ceasefire agreement.

by Markus Schmidt, Virginia Mercury

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