Washington, DC – Representatives Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs; Rosa DeLauro, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Appropriations; Jim Himes, Ranking Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence; and Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the House Committee on the Judiciary, today sent a letter to President Donald Trump calling on him to fulfill his campaign pledge to end the war in Gaza by working urgently to return all parties to the negotiation table without delay.
The Ranking Members called on the President to make a permanent ceasefire a core objective of his administration’s diplomatic efforts, along with securing the release of all hostages and advancing a credible effort to address Gaza’s humanitarian crisis. The letter also implores the President to ensure that Gaza is returned to control by Palestinians unaffiliated with Hamas and to ensure that any efforts to permanently displace Palestinians are rejected.
The full text of the letter can be found below. A PDF copy can be found here.
Dear Mr. President,
As Democratic Ranking Members of House of Representatives Committees, we write to you today with a deep sense of urgency and moral responsibility. The ongoing war in Gaza has reached a point of profound humanitarian crisis, geopolitical instability, and perilous risk for all involved. We urge you to use the full weight of American diplomacy to bring about an immediate, just, and durable end to the conflict.
It is our firm belief that the primary military objectives of this war have long since been achieved. Continued fighting threatens not only to exacerbate regional tensions and increase the humanitarian catastrophe, but also to undermine the long-term strategic security of both Israelis and Palestinians. Now is the time for you to bring all relevant parties—Israel, Palestinian leaders, regional stakeholders, alongside the United States and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff—back to the negotiating table without delay.
Despite recent indications that new humanitarian access will be granted, there is an acute need to dramatically scale up humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza to save the lives of starving, sick, and suffering civilians. We implore your administration to ensure unfettered access for humanitarian aid and to work in close coordination with reputable, experienced aid organizations that understand the region and can operate effectively through time-tested humanitarian mechanisms to ensure food and medical aid reaches civilians without diversion or delay. Time has run out for countless innocent people, and the United States must act swiftly and decisively to save lives.
Moreover, we call on you to make a permanent ceasefire a core objective of your diplomatic efforts. A lasting end to the violence must include the unconditional release of all hostages, whose continued captivity prolongs suffering and impedes any pathway toward peace. Further, Gaza must be returned to Palestinian civilian control without Hamas, and any plans for the forcible displacement of Palestinians from Gaza must be rejected.
Mr. President, while on the campaign trail, you pledged to end the war in Gaza and to restore stability in the Middle East. This is your moment to fulfill that promise. The United States has long been a broker of peace, and stepping back from that vital role is done at our own peril. The path to securing lasting peace, regional stability, and America’s interests in the Middle East lies not in protracted war, but in dialogue, diplomacy, and bold American leadership based on our longstanding democratic and humanitarian values.
Finally, we must underscore that the long-term protection of a Jewish and democratic Israel, as well as a just and secure future for the Palestinian people, are inextricably linked to the possibility of a viable two-state solution. There is no better, more feasible alternative than a two-state solution, which has been U.S. foreign policy for decades and is also a requirement to achieve Israel’s full normalization into the region and the long-delayed creation of a democratic Palestinian state. That vision will not materialize overnight, but it will remain forever out of reach if we do not act now to create the conditions for its future realization.
We respectfully urge you to lead with moral clarity, diplomatic strength, and a renewed commitment to peace.
The Ranking Members called on the President to make a permanent ceasefire a core objective of his administration’s diplomatic efforts, along with securing the release of all hostages and advancing a credible effort to address Gaza’s humanitarian crisis. The letter also implores the President to ensure that Gaza is returned to control by Palestinians unaffiliated with Hamas and to ensure that any efforts to permanently displace Palestinians are rejected.
The full text of the letter can be found below. A PDF copy can be found here.
Dear Mr. President,
As Democratic Ranking Members of House of Representatives Committees, we write to you today with a deep sense of urgency and moral responsibility. The ongoing war in Gaza has reached a point of profound humanitarian crisis, geopolitical instability, and perilous risk for all involved. We urge you to use the full weight of American diplomacy to bring about an immediate, just, and durable end to the conflict.
It is our firm belief that the primary military objectives of this war have long since been achieved. Continued fighting threatens not only to exacerbate regional tensions and increase the humanitarian catastrophe, but also to undermine the long-term strategic security of both Israelis and Palestinians. Now is the time for you to bring all relevant parties—Israel, Palestinian leaders, regional stakeholders, alongside the United States and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff—back to the negotiating table without delay.
Despite recent indications that new humanitarian access will be granted, there is an acute need to dramatically scale up humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza to save the lives of starving, sick, and suffering civilians. We implore your administration to ensure unfettered access for humanitarian aid and to work in close coordination with reputable, experienced aid organizations that understand the region and can operate effectively through time-tested humanitarian mechanisms to ensure food and medical aid reaches civilians without diversion or delay. Time has run out for countless innocent people, and the United States must act swiftly and decisively to save lives.
Moreover, we call on you to make a permanent ceasefire a core objective of your diplomatic efforts. A lasting end to the violence must include the unconditional release of all hostages, whose continued captivity prolongs suffering and impedes any pathway toward peace. Further, Gaza must be returned to Palestinian civilian control without Hamas, and any plans for the forcible displacement of Palestinians from Gaza must be rejected.
Mr. President, while on the campaign trail, you pledged to end the war in Gaza and to restore stability in the Middle East. This is your moment to fulfill that promise. The United States has long been a broker of peace, and stepping back from that vital role is done at our own peril. The path to securing lasting peace, regional stability, and America’s interests in the Middle East lies not in protracted war, but in dialogue, diplomacy, and bold American leadership based on our longstanding democratic and humanitarian values.
Finally, we must underscore that the long-term protection of a Jewish and democratic Israel, as well as a just and secure future for the Palestinian people, are inextricably linked to the possibility of a viable two-state solution. There is no better, more feasible alternative than a two-state solution, which has been U.S. foreign policy for decades and is also a requirement to achieve Israel’s full normalization into the region and the long-delayed creation of a democratic Palestinian state. That vision will not materialize overnight, but it will remain forever out of reach if we do not act now to create the conditions for its future realization.
We respectfully urge you to lead with moral clarity, diplomatic strength, and a renewed commitment to peace.