U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) and Democratic Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island sent a letter to President Joe Biden Wednesday calling for a U.S. Navy hospital ship to be deployed to treat Gazan civilians impacted by the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Islamist terrorist organization Hamas.
[RELATED: King Praises Embattled UNRWA, Calls for More Aid to Gaza…]
Since the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing approximately 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages, Israel has engaged in an extensive bombardment and ground invasion of the Gaza Strip with the objective of destroying Hamas.
The Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry — the only official source for Palestinian causalities in Gaza — has reported that more than 30,000 Gazans have been killed in the war since Oct. 7, though those figures have not been confirmed by any trusted third-parties.
Top United Nations (U.N) officials said Tuesday that at least one quarter of Gaza’s population, roughly 576,000 people, are one step away from famine, and painted a dire picture of a humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza as a result of the conflict.
In their Feb. 28 letter to President Biden, Sens. King and Reed wrote that despite the Biden administration’s “significant efforts” to facilitate humanitarian relief for Gazan civilians and to broker a temporary ceasefire, “two million Gazans still face critical shortages in food, shelter, and medical care.”
[RELATED: U.S. Vetoes United Nations Security Council Move to Demand A Ceasefire from Israel…]
“Consequently, we urge you to take additional steps to deliver humanitarian aid by deploying a U.S. Navy hospital ship and support elements to the region, and by working with the Israeli and Egyptian governments to establish maritime logistics routes and ensure civilian access to aid,” the Senators wrote.
“In this way, we can expedite the secure delivery of humanitarian relief while reducing the risk of diversion of this aid,” they wrote.
Maritime support, according to the Senators, is “scalable and poses less risk to U.S. personnel” than land-based operations, and one ship “could supply a volume of aid equivalent to as many as 800 trucks.”
[RELATED: Maine Senators Join Bipartisan Resolution Condemning Hamas’ Use of Rape in Oct 7 Attack on Israel…]
“We recognize there are risks to conducting such operations; however, the military has the expertise in managing risk,” they continued. “Should the risks become unacceptable to military commanders, they have the authority to change or cease operations and report concerns to civilian leadership.”
King and Reed cited the successful deployment of hospital ships to the region by France and Indonesia.
“We urge you to adopt this approach and demonstrate our country’s commitment to relieving the suffering of those trapped in this conflict,” they wrote.
Maine stands with Palestine!
King is an empty suit and has been for decades.
F U Anus King.