What I saw in the Middle East:

I'm coming to you with a few more updates on the Race to Save the Senate to save our Republic. You can watch them here and here.

I'm back in the United States after 10 days traveling in the Middle East — in Israel, the West Bank, in Jordan, and in Egypt.

I sat with families of hostages who remain in Gaza. I listened to Palestinian families whose loved ones are living under horrific conditions. And I stood at the Rafah Gate, on the rooftop of a building, looking into the city of Rafah.

What I saw there will never leave me: not a city marked by war, but a city erased. Utter, complete, and total destruction. Block after block reduced to rubble. It is a deliberate strategy carried out by the Netanyahu government — making Gaza uninhabitable, ensuring families cannot return.

The trip was a powerful reminder of what I've been advocating for since the war began — an immediate ceasefire, the return of all of the hostages, a massive influx of humanitarian aid into Gaza, and a lasting, permanent peace.

As a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I've been pressing my colleagues in Congress to halt hundreds of millions of dollars in weapons sales to Israel until Palestinians in Gaza receive the immediate and critical aid that they need.

And, I've joined with Democratic senators to call on Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff, the special envoy to the Middle East, to resume diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire agreement and bring this war to an end.

This work isn't easy, but it's necessary. The world is watching, and we must speak out for justice, dignity, and peace.

Onward!

Jeff