Washington, D.C. – With steely determination and rising emotion, U.S. Army veteran Josephine Guilbeau stood before the Capitol building and condemned the deepening hunger crisis in Gaza, attributing it to a deliberate policy by the Israeli government.
“The level of evil it takes to decide to starve a baby — as a tactic of war — is unimaginable. What have we become as a nation? As humanity?” asked Guilbeau, a veteran of 17 years.
She was among several doctors, fellow veterans, former officials, and Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib who gathered on Thursday to demand that U.S. President Donald Trump end unconditional support for Israel. The protest, marked by the symbolic banging of empty pots, aimed to highlight the widespread starvation in Gaza, where UN agencies and Palestinian health officials report over 100 deaths due to hunger amid the Israeli blockade.
Advocates held photos of emaciated Palestinian children, drawing a direct link between the crisis and U.S. military and diplomatic backing for Israel. They called on lawmakers to listen to growing American opposition to Israel’s actions in Gaza — a sentiment echoed by recent public opinion polls, even as Congress remains firmly supportive of Israel across party lines.
Speaking passionately, Rep. Tlaib challenged her colleagues in Congress: “The American public is shouting loud and clear: enough is enough. Listen to your constituents — they don’t want another dime going toward the starvation of an entire people.”
Calls to End Military Aid
Tlaib also appeared to criticize a recent vote by fellow progressive Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who opposed an amendment aimed at halting $500 million in missile defense aid to Israel. The measure — introduced by Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene — saw only six votes in favor.
While Ocasio-Cortez defended her position, saying the aid was “defensive,” Tlaib was not swayed. “Defensive or offensive, it’s all part of the same system enabling genocide,” she asserted.
Numerous rights organizations and UN experts have echoed Tlaib’s sentiments, accusing Israel of committing acts of genocide in Gaza. Under current U.S. law, such accusations could disqualify a country from receiving security aid, yet Washington continues to funnel billions in military assistance to Tel Aviv.
Former Officials Speak Out
Stacy Gilbert, a former U.S. State Department official who resigned last year in protest of a report that denied Israeli obstruction of aid, was also present. She stated unequivocally that the famine in Gaza is no accident but a “deliberate policy” by Israel.
“I’m calling on Trump to reject this disastrous policy — one that started under Biden — of unconditional military support for Israel,” she said.
Michigan-based physician Dr. Nidal Jboor, representing Doctors Against Genocide, echoed this plea, warning Trump not to replicate Biden’s path. “If you fail to act, you are no different than ‘Sleepy Joe,’” Jboor said, using Trump’s nickname for Biden.
“This is not who we are as Americans. What’s happening in Gaza does not make America great. Shut down the killing zone, send humanitarian aid, and stop the genocide,” he added.
Jboor also accused Trump of betraying the Arab and Muslim communities in Michigan, who supported him during the last election based on promises of peace. Despite initial praise for a ceasefire in January, Trump’s administration later floated a proposal to remove Palestinians from Gaza — a move rights groups say amounts to ethnic cleansing.
GHF and the ‘Aid Trap’
In May, the U.S. and Israel launched the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a private body tasked with aid distribution in Gaza. But rights groups have criticized the GHF for operating primarily in southern areas under Israeli control — zones many describe as “death traps.”
Reports indicate that Israeli forces continue to open fire on aid seekers, killing hundreds, even as the U.S. hails the delivery of 90 million meals as a success. Critics argue this represents only a sliver of what’s needed for Gaza’s 2 million people.
While some aid has recently reached northern Gaza, convoys have been shelled and attacked, making distribution increasingly dangerous.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott defended the GHF, stating the goal was to prevent Hamas from “weaponizing” aid — a claim many rights groups call misleading and unsubstantiated.
Just before Pigott’s remarks, Israeli Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu appeared to confirm that Israel is purposely starving Gaza. “There is no nation that feeds its enemies,” he said in a radio interview. “The government is racing ahead for Gaza to be wiped out.”
Growing Pressure from the Ground Up
Back at Capitol Hill, advocates remained steadfast. “Every voice matters. We must move our leaders to act. If they don’t stop funding this war, we will vote them out,” said Guilbeau.
After 22 months of devastating war, the message from doctors, veterans, and civil society members is clear: America’s role must shift from one of enabler to peacemaker — before more lives are lost to war and hunger.
"Edited and published by Veritas Global News to maintain accuracy and originality"
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