(MENAFN) Five U.S. senators are urging Secretary of State Marco Rubio to immediately leverage American influence to enable large-scale humanitarian aid deliveries into Gaza, with an emphasis on infant formula for malnourished children facing starvation.

In a letter sent Friday, Sens. Ruben Gallego, Peter Welch, Tim Kaine, Mark Kelly, and Elizabeth Warren warned of "the grave crisis that infants in Gaza face as a result of severe restrictions" on aid access and movement.

"Specifically, we write to you today asking that the United States use its full power and authority to immediately facilitate a massive surge in all humanitarian aid," the senators stated.

The letter criticized Israel’s complete halt of aid access between March 2 and May 19 and called for immediate action, asserting that both the U.S. and Israel have a moral responsibility to respond to the worsening humanitarian catastrophe impacting Palestinian families.

The group identified the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation system, introduced by Israel in late May, as a factor contributing to a catastrophic decline in food supplies and other humanitarian aid.

They emphasized that the issue is not about funding shortages but is driven by limitations in access and a lack of political will.

The lawmakers pointed to pallets of baby formula stranded at the Gaza border, cautioning that more infants will die of hunger if urgent ceasefire and aid measures are not put in place. They stressed fundamental American values to ensure children do not starve.

They further demanded the immediate reopening of all crossing points into Gaza and a significant scale-up in aid flow, alongside expanded humanitarian access for international relief organizations.

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, starvation has killed 332 Palestinians since October 7, 2023 — including 124 children — with ten more deaths, three of them children, reported in just the past 24 hours.

Since the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification formally declared famine in Gaza on August 22, another 54 deaths due to hunger have been recorded, including nine children.

Despite the deepening crisis, Israel has kept all Gaza crossings closed to aid shipments since March 2, leaving convoys stalled at the border. Local officials report that less than 20% of Gaza’s humanitarian needs are currently being met.

Israel's ongoing military campaign has killed nearly 63,400 Palestinians since October 2023, as famine conditions intensify during what rights groups have labeled the second year of genocide.

In a significant escalation of international scrutiny, the International Criminal Court (ICC) in November issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Separately, Israel is facing a genocide case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

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