1. United States
2. Wisc.
3. Letter

The recent actions by Israel in denying UN humanitarian access to rescue civilians trapped under rubble in north Gaza are unconscionable. These war crimes put innocent Palestinian lives at grave risk, exacerbating the ongoing humanitarian crisis. Blocking vital aid and preventing the evacuation of injured people amounts to using starvation as a weapon of war, which is a blatant violation of international law. The unlawful forced displacement of civilians combined with devastating airstrikes and the denial of humanitarian relief points to an genocidal campaign by Israel to depopulate the northern Gaza Strip. Yet the US government continues providing military aid and diplomatic cover that enables these atrocities. It is paramount that you take immediate action to halt US military support and arms transfers to Israel until it fully complies with international humanitarian law. A comprehensive arms embargo and suspension of military funding is the bare minimum moral stance when a country is credibly accused of perpetrating war crimes and ethnic cleansing. Continuing business as usual would make the US complicit in potential crimes against humanity in Gaza. I urge you to publicly condemn Israel's actions, demand unobstructed humanitarian access to Gaza, call for an immediate ceasefire, and pursue accountability measures against Israeli officials responsible for gross human rights violations and violations of the laws of war. True US leadership requires using all available diplomatic and economic leverage to prevent further civilian casualties and potential genocide in Gaza.