US House Democrats call for ‘maximum pressure’ on Israel over Gaza ceasefire violations

In a letter sent to President Donald Trump on Monday, 47 Democratic lawmakers said the regime’s actions since the ceasefire took effect on October 10 have undermined the fragile agreement and risked renewed large-scale conflagration. The letter was led by Reps. Mark Pocan of Wisconsin and Madeleine Dean of Pennsylvania.

The lawmakers referenced figures released by Gaza’s Government Media Office, which has denounced Zionist regime forces for committing 875 ceasefire violations since that date.

According to the office, those violations have resulted in the martyr of at least 411 Palestinians and injuries to 1,112 others.

The overall Palestinian martyr toll in Gaza since October 7, 2023, when the regime launched a war of genocide on Gaza, has reached at least 70,937, with more than 171,000 wounded, women and children forming the majority of the casualties. International experts have warned that actual figures might be significantly higher.

In their letter, the Democrats cited the regime’s “continued bombardment against civilians, destruction of property, and insufficient delivery of humanitarian aid,” calling on the administration to ensure full compliance with the ceasefire framework.

“It’s imperative” that Washington hold Tel Aviv “accountable for its actions,” the lawmakers wrote.

The media office said the documented Zionist regime’s violations had included 265 incidents of direct gunfire at civilians, 49 military incursions into residential areas, and 421 shelling attacks. It also reported widespread destruction of civilian structures, including homes, neighborhoods, gardens, and small agricultural plots.

The American lawmakers highlighted reports that more than 1,500 buildings had been destroyed since the ceasefire began, many of which reportedly did not appear damaged before being demolished.

They also raised concerns about humanitarian access, noting that the ceasefire agreement calls for 600 aid trucks per day to enter Gaza. According to the media office, however, only 17,819 aid trucks have entered the territory out of the 42,800 agreed upon, an average of 244 trucks per day, or about 41 percent of the required volume.

Fuel deliveries have been even more limited. The office said only 394 fuel trucks had entered Gaza out of the 3,650 stipulated under the agreement. It warned that the shortage had left hospitals, bakeries, and water and sewage facilities “almost completely out of service.”

The Democrats said insufficient aid deliveries had left around 1.6 million Palestinians in the coastal sliver in critical conditions.

The letter cited specific incidents, including a November 29 Zionist regime’s drone strike that killed two brothers aged eight and 10 after they allegedly crossed into an Israel-controlled area of Gaza. The Israeli military described the children as “suspects,” a characterization the lawmakers criticized for failing to acknowledge they were minors.

The lawmakers also referenced the regime’s broader conduct in Gaza, noting that mass starvation had been cited in ongoing legal proceedings at international courts.

Tel Aviv faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice, while the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former minister for military affairs Yoav Gallant. The Trump administration has responded by imposing sanctions on ICC judges involved in the case.

Under both the current administration and the preceding one run by Joe Biden, the United States has provided the regime with more than $20 billion in military aid since it began the genocide, while also shielding the regime politically in international bodies such as the United Nations Security Council.

This is while the annual American aid to the regime would usually stand at around $3 billion before the war.