Democratic Rep. Ritchie Torres, a New York Democrat, has recently disclosed that he has estranged himself from some family members due to his unwavering support for Israel. During an address at the Israel on Campus Coalition Summit, he shared how his stance has caused personal strain, indicating that he is no longer on speaking terms with certain relatives. While maintaining his commitment to Israel, Torres also voiced concerns about the humanitarian situation in Gaza, highlighting the urgent need for aid. He acknowledged the complexity of the issue, as Israel’s actions are often scrutinized under a double standard. Additionally, he criticized the Israeli government’s public relations, suggesting it might be failing to meet international expectations.
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has become a focal point, with Hamas reporting over 60,00,000 Palestinian fatalities from Israel’s military campaign to eradicate Hamas, and 154 deaths attributed to food shortages. President Donald Trump acknowledged the existence of ‘real starvation’ in Gaza due to food shortages. Torres, while not holding Israel responsible for the starvation, emphasized the necessity of alleviating human suffering in Gaza. He argued that Israel faces a ‘double standard’ because ‘no other country has been and has been expected to deliver food to its adversaries.’
Aid efforts are ongoing through the Gaza Humanitarian Fund, a partnership with Israel, which claims to have distributed over 97 million meals since operations began on May 27. Torres stated that this contradicts the narrative of a deliberate policy of starvation. However, Israeli forces control the distribution sites, and the United Nations, which opposes the GHF, reports over 1,000 Palestinian deaths from seeking aid through the group. GHF, in turn, argues that the UN’s aid distribution has been ineffective, with only 8% of UN aid reaching its destination without being looted over the last 10 weeks, according to a Reuters report.
Israel has denied the existence of widespread famine in Gaza, stating that photos are misleading or relate to isolated cases. Nevertheless, the country has begun to pause fighting in large areas of the strip for 10 hours a day to facilitate an increase in aid delivery via land and air. A ceasefire and hostage deal has not yet been reached, and White House envoy Steve Witkoff is traveling to Israel for negotiations as of Wednesday, per Axios reports.