US senator: Israel not obligated to send aid to Gaza

Tom Cotton slams double standard on Israel, says IDF is already doing more than required.

By David Brummer, World Israel News

Israel has no responsibility to supply aid to Gaza during wartime, U.S. Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) said on Monday, defending Israel’s actions in the face of mounting international pressure.

Speaking in Washington, the Arkansas Republican praised the Israeli military for what he called its efforts to help civilians despite the October 7 Hamas assault.

“Israel was viciously attacked on October 7, without provocation,” Cotton said.

“People were slaughtered, children were killed, women were raped, and yet the world expects Israel to provide food to the people from the land that launched that attack.”

He argued that such expectations reflect what he called a “singular standard” applied to the Jewish state.

“I just want to point out to you what an unusual—I would say singular—standard the world seems to impose on Israel yet again,” he said.

Cotton rejected the idea that Israel is under any legal or moral obligation to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza during an active conflict, especially when that aid could potentially benefit Hamas.

“Correct me if I’m wrong,” he said, “but I don’t remember food aid going from the United States to Germany and Japan in World War II.

“Sure, there’s a lot of aid after the fact to help those countries rebuild and keep out Russian communism. But in the middle of a war, a war of aggression that was launched against Israel, Israel really has no responsibility whatsoever to provide any kind of aid into Gaza.”

Nonetheless, Cotton said he believes Israel is doing what it can to minimize harm to civilians.

“Obviously, their generals and their political leadership understand the security situation at each particular distribution site better than I do or better than a Palestinian American would,” he said. “But I do trust them to do everything they can to try to alleviate any Hamas-imposed suffering on Gazans.”

He added that Israel’s continued delivery of humanitarian aid—despite the danger to its soldiers and citizens—underscores its moral conduct in wartime.

“The fact that they’re doing so just proves they always go the extra mile,” Cotton said. “Because they always face unique standards in the world.”

The remarks came amid increasing international scrutiny over Israel’s military operations in Gaza and calls for a ceasefire.

President Donald Trump has yet to weigh in on Cotton’s latest comments, but his administration has generally supported Israel’s right to self-defense.

However, there is increasing alarm in the White House over the humanitarian situation in Gaza, prompting the expected arrival of U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.