U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Holly) speaks at a June 6, 2025 town hall in Lansing. | Kyle Davidson
U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Holly) on Tuesday sent a letter to foreign affairs officials calling for immediate action to prevent a further humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, enclosing a proposal from Jewish and Muslim leaders in the state.
The letter, addressed to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, calls for the immediate opening of all checkpoints into Gaza to provide supplies that are critical for mothers and children, including infant formula, clean drinking water and supplies to treat child malnourishment.
“With the humanitarian situation hitting a breaking point, feeding innocent children and protecting them from starvation should be a universal value,” Slotkin wrote.
The proposal, which Slotkin said was conceived of by a Jewish rabbi and a Muslim physician and community leader, requests that these aid materials be permanently green-lit and allowed in by Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories and the Israeli Defense Forces “regardless of the status of ceasefire negotiations and without delay.”
Israel’s offensive in Gaza — launched in retaliation to the militant group Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023 attack in southern Israel — has killed more than 60,000 people according to Gaza’s health ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run government. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East says 90% of people across the Gaza Strip have been displaced, with 82.6% of the area now within the Israeli-militarized zone.
According to the U.N.’s Human Rights Council, the Gaza Strip is on the verge of famine as a result of Israel’s closure and blockade, with Israel imposing severe restrictions on the U.N. and other humanitarian organizations, blocking them from bringing food, fuel and lifesaving assistance into Gaza.
Israel justified the blockade by arguing Hamas had been stealing aid delivered by humanitarian groups, however the Israeli military never found proof for this claim, the New York Times reported.
“The war in Gaza has deeply affected Michigan communities, where large Muslim, Arab, and Jewish populations make their home.…This is the first time since the beginning of this conflict that I have been approached by leaders from both the Jewish and Muslim communities with a joint proposal. It is a testament to the scope of humanitarian catastrophe taking place in Gaza – as well as the strength of the universal values that these communities still share,” Slotkin said.
Additionally, these community leaders are ready to donate or cover the full cost of aid supplies, Slotkin said, urging President Donald Trump’s administration to use its significant influence to ensure this happens without delay.
In addition to Rubio and Witkoff, a copy of the letter was also sent to Israeli and United Nations officials, including the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, the Israeli Ambassador to the U.S., and U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres.
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