WASHINGTON

US Sen. Dick Durbin called Monday on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to allow aid into the Gaza Strip amid the deepening humanitarian situation in the besieged enclave.

"Quite simply, the humanitarian conditions in Gaza are appalling, unconscionable and cruel," Durbin told the Senate floor.

He said more than 100 non-governmental organizations including Mercy Corps, Doctors Without Borders, Save the Children and Oxfam reiterated last week the severity of the crisis, warning of mass starvation spreading across Gaza.

"Following Prime Minister Netanyahu’s nearly three-month blockade of humanitarian assistance, three-quarters of the population in Gaza is facing emergency or catastrophic levels of hunger. The tiniest of babies cannot even access formula and risk heartbreaking death," Durbin added.

Denouncing the actions of the Palestinian group Hamas and their attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, he further called on Netanyahu to take a measured approach and to release aid to those starving in Gaza.

“Yes, Hamas started this conflict in a heinous attack on Israel…But I have repeatedly appealed to Israel…be careful of decisions made in the fog of rage, pain and loss and recognize there is no solely military solution to defeating a terrorist group.

"Let me be clear. Continuing this war with no discernable end is not in Israel’s national security interest, and a lack of a viable plan and the humanitarian fiasco have been glaring mistakes, getting worse by the day," Durbin said.

'It has to end'

Durbin said that along with five of his Senate colleagues, they last week called for a "drastic change of course" in Gaza, including an end to the fighting, the return of the hostages, a dramatic increase in humanitarian aid and a viable path toward a two-state solution that brings in regional powers to help manage and rebuild Gaza.

“You cannot watch these scenes on television of these children emaciated because of their starvation, other children begging with pans for just a little bit of food to survive, and believe this is the right course of action. It has to end.

“The humanitarian aid has to start immediately. It is within Israel’s capability to do that. There is no excuse if they don’t," he added.

The senator called on Netanyahu to "show some leadership" in ending the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

"I don’t know what Prime Minister Netanyahu is waiting for, but if he witnesses what we do in the United States, from organizations across the world begging us to do something, to join them in stopping this humanitarian disaster, perhaps his heart will soften somewhat,” Durbin concluded.

The Israeli army, rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, has pursued an offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, killing nearly 60,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children. The relentless bombardment has destroyed the enclave.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.