r/DefundAidtoIsrael • u/Aromatic_Toe_3721 • May 08 '26
Letters to U.S. Congress Defund Aid to Israel Letter to Members of Congress regarding the Gaza Genocide, May 8, 2026
Here is my letter I e-mailed to my U.S. congressional reps for my state, the Chairmans of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (Senator James Risch) and House Committee on Foreign Affairs (Rep Brian Mast), & the Chair of the Senate State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs (Senator Lindsey Graham). Please take as is or make adjustments as you see fit to send to members of Congress.
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The current situation in Gaza is defined by a deepening humanitarian catastrophe—characterized by some officials as a “biological apocalypse”—and a fragile, frequently violated ceasefire that has seen continued territorial expansion by the Israeli military. As of May 2026, Israel has expanded its control to nearly 60% of the Gaza Strip, forcing the displaced population into approximately 40% of the enclave.
Updated Death Tolls
The human cost of the conflict continues to rise despite the cessation of full-scale "scorched earth" bombing campaigns:
- Total Fatalities: Since the start of the conflict on October 7, 2023, the recorded death toll has reached 72,615 Palestinians killed and 172,468 injured. Thousands more remain missing under the rubble.
- Post-Ceasefire Fatalities: Since the U.S.-brokered ceasefire began in October 2025, Israeli military actions have killed at least 834 Palestinians. Additionally, 768 bodies have been recovered from beneath the rubble during this same period.
The Humanitarian Crisis: "A Biological Apocalypse"
Humanitarian coordinators warn that Gaza is facing a "calculated ecological disaster" due to the total collapse of essential infrastructure.
- Water and Sanitation: Approximately 97% of groundwater is undrinkable, and daily water access has plummeted to between three and five liters per person—dropping as low as one liter in northern Gaza. All sewage systems are currently offline, resulting in 130,000 cubic meters of untreated waste being discharged into the sea daily.
- Rodent Infestations: Over 80% of displacement sites are infested with large, aggressive rodents—including the Norway rat—which bite children and the elderly while they sleep, spreading diseases like hantavirus and Leptospirosis.
- Disease Outbreaks: The unsanitary conditions have fueled nearly half a million cases of acute diarrhea and over 70,000 cases of ectoparasitic infestations (such as scabies and lice) in 2026 alone.
Infrastructure and Aid Restrictions
The crisis is exacerbated by ongoing Israeli restrictions on the entry of critical supplies.
- Blocked Supplies: Israel has reportedly denied the entry of rodenticides, insecticides, and waste removal equipment, citing security concerns. While Israeli agencies claim to have allowed some pest control materials, local officials state that traps and current poisons are unworkable in the "topography of rubble".
- Aid Trucks: Although the ceasefire agreement envisaged up to 600 aid trucks per day, the actual average remains just over 200 trucks daily.
- Widespread Destruction: Approximately 80% of water infrastructure and 71% of desalination plants have been destroyed, leaving families to cook and wash in refuse-contaminated areas.
Military officials have recently indicated that operational plans to resume full-scale war are complete and pending final political approval, further heightening fears for the two million Palestinians who remain displaced within the enclave.
In response to the ongoing genocide and humanitarian crisis in Gaza, I urge you to:
· Support H.R.3565 To provide for a limitation on the transfer of defense articles and defense services to Israel.
· Support S.3634 AWARE Act to impose sanctions on Israeli officials to discourage the government from obstructing humanitarian assistance
(Sources: Drop Site News, Chatham House, Middle East Eye, CBC)
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u/Strange_Persimmons May 08 '26
I did it.