Rep. Salinas Presses Trump Administration for Updates on Gaza Ceasefire and Peace Plan

Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Congresswoman Andrea Salinas (OR-06), alongside Rep. Kweisi Mfume (MD-07), led 63 colleagues in a letter to President Trump requesting updates from the Administration on its 20-point peace plan in Gaza and urging the President to ensure that lasting peace for the Palestinian people in Gaza remains a priority.

Following deadly Israeli strikes in Gaza over the weekend, which threaten to derail the recently announced Hamas disarmament agreement, Rep. Salinas' letter underscores the need for the Administration to remain focused on advancing core elements of the 20-point plan. The letter highlights key obstacles to implementation, including Israel's expanding control of nearly 70% of Gaza, humanitarian aid restrictions, and the stalled deployment of security and political alternatives to Hamas.

Signers include: Reps. Eleanor Holmes Norton, Ro Khanna, Sylvia R. Garcia, Becca Balint, Zoe Lofgren, Mark Pocan, Jamie Raskin, Val Hoyle, Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr., Joaquin Castro, Jonathan L. Jackson, Stephen F. Lynch, James P. McGovern, Betty McCollum, Emily Randall, Steve Cohen, Chris Deluzio, Mike Quigley, Gwen S. Moore, Jill Tokuda, Lateefah Simon, Nydia M. Velázquez, Julia Brownley, Kim Schrier, M.D., Jasmine Crockett, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Maxine Waters, Jared Huffman, Sam T. Liccardo, Mark DeSaulnier, Jennifer L. McClellan, Derek T. Tran, Rosa L. DeLauro, Gabe Amo, Grace Meng, Adelita S. Grijalva, Jahana Hayes, J. Luis Correa, Paul D. Tonko, Donald S. Beyer Jr., Bill Foster, John Garamendi, Judy Chu, Madeleine Dean, Jan Schakowsky, Raul Ruiz, M.D., Chellie Pingree, Jimmy Panetta, Lizzie Fletcher, Lori Trahan, Yvette D. Clarke, Brittany Pettersen, Sean Casten, Mark Takano, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Teresa Leger Fernández, Veronica Escobar, Seth Magaziner, Joe Courtney, Danny K. Davis, Johnny Olszewski, Jr., Robin L. Kelly, Sara Jacobs

The letter is endorsed by: J Street, New Jewish Narrative, Foreign Policy for America, T'ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, and Refugees International.

Click here or see below for the full letter:

Dear Mr. President:

We write to raise urgent concerns about the status of key pillars of the Gaza ceasefire and your 20-point peace plan, and to urge the Administration not to deprioritize Gaza amidst months of focus on other conflicts in the Middle East. We were relieved by the hostage release, initial surge in aid, and end of full-scale military operations last October. But progress on the rest of the 20-point plan has stalled, and we are alarmed to see reports that Prime Minister Netanyahu aims for Israel to control 70% of the Gaza Strip. The 20-point plan called for battle lines to remain frozen in the immediate term, and one of its stated long-term goals is to establish the conditions for Palestinian self-determination and eventual statehood alongside the state of Israel. After ten months of the initiated peace plan, we now request updates from your Administration on the 20-point plan in order to better identify the steps needed to make progress.

Despite the agreement, over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli operations since the ceasefire began, and Israel continues near-daily airstrikes in Gaza. While under the terms of the ceasefire, the Israeli military withdrew to the "yellow line," the demarcation line that left Israel in control of roughly 53% of Gaza, however, the Israeli military now controls nearly 70%. This continued shifting of the yellow line to increase Israeli territory in Gaza, alongside the ongoing military operations, directly contradicts the terms of the ceasefire you negotiated and leaves Palestinian civilians vulnerable.

On the humanitarian front, while there has been improvement since the ceasefire, civilians in Gaza are facing rodent and pest infestations throughout displacement camps, a shortage of fuel and essential medicines, and there has been insufficient rebuilding of the infrastructure needed for sewage, water and electricity. Israeli policies, including overbroad dual-use restrictions and restrictive registration requirements for international NGOs, are making it more difficult for essential goods and services to enter the territory. This also undermines a key component of the 20-point plan, which states both that "full aid will be immediately sent into the Gaza Strip," and "Entry of distribution and aid in the Gaza Strip will proceed without interference from the two parties."

We are also concerned by the stalled process to establish security and political alternatives to Hamas in Gaza. Successful disarmament of a militant group takes time and requires the deployment of a governing entity to marginalize and replace it. Israel's decision not to allow any of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) committee members to enter Gaza has allowed Hamas to seize control of the part of Gaza where almost its entire population lives and provided the Israeli government with a reason to keep the IDF in Gaza and prevent significant reconstruction efforts. Our understanding is that the International Stabilization Force (ISF) has largely stalled, and even certain countries that have committed troops have placed their deployment on hold. While there is a potential opportunity with Hamas' recent announcement of the resignation of its governing arm to hand power over to the technocratic committee, there needs to be a concerted push to allow NCAG committee members to enter Gaza and begin laying the groundwork for transitional governance.

The terms of the 20-point plan provided a roadmap to advance the self-determination and security for both Israelis and Palestinians that are necessary to unlock a stable, integrated Middle East. However, these terms are not coming to fruition, and the lack of progress has the potential to further destabilize the region. Please provide answers to the following questions about key components of the 20-point plan by August 17, 2026 so we can better understand the challenges and weigh congressional action accordingly.

1. What is your Administration doing to ensure that full-scale war does not resume in Gaza, particularly amidst continued ceasefire violations and reporting that Hamas is recruiting new fighters and Israel is considering another offensive?
2. What is your Administration doing to address the near-daily, deadly Israeli airstrikes that have killed civilians in Gaza, and do you view these as undermining the ceasefire?
3. What is being done to enforce the demarcation line and prevent Israeli expansion?
4. Does your Administration view the deepening Israeli control in Gaza as contradictory to the goal of the 20-point plan, which seeks to establish conditions "for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood"?
5. What is the Administration doing to address aid shortfalls in Gaza?
6. When do you expect the ISF will be operational? What is the current status of countries that have committed troops to the ISF, or that you expect to commit troops?
7. Once deployed, what mechanisms are in place to oversee the ISF and what is the chain of command?
8. Why has the NCAG not been allowed into Gaza? When does the Administration expect that to change? What is the plan for building support and legitimacy for the committee?
9. What is the Administration's plan to advance the Hamas disarmament deal announced on July 30, 2026?
10. What limits has the Administration set on Israeli actions during negotiations on Hamas' disarmament? What is the plan to ensure that progress on reconstruction and humanitarian issues is not contingent on disarmament?
11. How is the Administration working with Turkey and Qatar to continue applying pressure on Hamas to disarm?

Thank you for your prompt attention to these urgent matters. We look forward to your immediate response.

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