Justice For All Condemns House Bill Blocking Aid to Palestine and Calls for Urgent Rebuilding Efforts in Gaza

Justice For All, the premier American Muslim human rights organization, strongly condemns the recent House bill aimed at blocking aid to Palestine. Imam Malik Mujahid, president of Justice For All, stated, “With half of Gaza’s buildings destroyed, most likely by U.S. bombs, the United States has a moral responsibility to assist in rebuilding efforts and to prevent future destruction of life and property.” The United Nations  estimates that it would take until 2040 to rebuild all the homes that have been destroyed in nearly eight months of Israel’s bombardment and ground offensives in the territory.

The U.S. has provided $12.5 billion to Israel this year alone: the annual $3.8 billion aid was supplemented in April by an additional $8.7 billionl.    This funding has helped Israel  destroy or severely damage most life-sustaining infrastructures in Gaza, including 77% of healthcare facilities, 60% of all educational facilities, 100% of  universities, and over 60% of homes.  Israel’s assault on Gaza has displaced approximately 1.7 million Palestinians, and resulted in over 37,000 deaths.

Justice For All reiterates our call on the United States to help rebuild Gaza. The  State Department should provide funding for rebuilding the infrastructure of Gaza, including homes, schools, and healthcare facilities. Due to the significant trauma experienced by Palestinian civilians, especially children, the United States should provide reparations, restitution, psycho-social support, and reconstruction for victims and their families on an urgent basis.

Additionally, Palestinians are in dire need of immediate, continuous, sufficient, and unhindered humanitarian aid, including clean water, food, medical supplies, emergency housing, and other lifesaving and gender-responsive essentials. The United States, through USAID, should send $3 billion in aid to meet these immediate needs.

The House voted on Wednesday to block U.S. funding for Gaza’s reconstruction .  This is despite the fact that the U.S has substantially financed the destruction.  Reps. Brian Mast (R-Fla.), Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.), and Eli Crane (R-Ariz.), introduced the provision as  part of an amendment to the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act, the annual defense budget.

Blocking funds to rebuild Gaza while actively providing taxpayer dollars, weapons, and intelligence to destroy Gaza and Palestinian society reaffirms that many lawmakers intend the U.S. to be an active participant in Israel’s atrocities. This move underscores a disregard for the lives and well-being of Palestinian civilians and perpetuates ongoing injustice and human rights violations.

Justice For All calls upon the international community and the U.S. government to adhere to international laws and conventions that require an occupying power to ensure the well-being of the population (e.g. Fourth Geneva Convention), to ensure the provision of humanitarian aid, and the reconstruction of Gaza.  Blocking such aid is a clear violation of international norms and exacerbates the suffering of innocent Palestinian civilians.

1. https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/rebuilding-bombed-gaza-homes-may-take-80-years-un-says-2024-05-02/

2. A/HRC/55/73: Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967 – Advance unedited version, United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner, March 25, 2024, https://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/country-reports/ahrc5573-report-special-rapporteur-situation-human-rights-palestinian