AG Letitia James Pushes Gaza Aid Letter, Omits Hamas Until Press Inquiry Prompts Rewrite

New York State Attorney General Letitia James privately circulated a petition Saturday urging fellow Democrats to take action to halt the “humanitarian catastrophe” in Gaza, but the original version failed to mention Hamas’ role in the crisis.

A draft of the letter, which was shared with several elected officials and obtained by *The New York Post*, avoided any mention of the October 7th attacks or Hamas’ ongoing terrorism. “We are united in this moment by a truth we can no longer ignore: a famine is unfolding in Gaza before the eyes of the world,” the letter read, in the name of a “coalition of multiracial, multiethnic, and multifaith elected officials.”

“There is no denying it—we are witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe …” the letter continued.

“We urge our fellow Americans to speak out, to support relief efforts, and to demand that our leaders use every tool of diplomacy to end this crisis. History will remember what we did, or failed to do, in this moment.”

When *The Post* contacted James’ office for comment, it initially declined to respond. But just hours later, her office released a revised version of the letter, which now included a line condemning Hamas for its October 7th massacre.

“We are united in this moment by both condemning the October 7th massacre perpetrated by Hamas and an unavoidable truth: a famine is unfolding in Gaza before the eyes of the world,” the updated letter read.

A spokesperson for James claimed that the mention of Hamas had been added “far prior” to *The Post’s* inquiry, though the original version viewed by reporters said otherwise.

The letter gained the support of over 60 Democratic officials across city, state, and federal levels, including U.S. Rep. Jerold Nadler and New York City Comptroller Brad Lander.

Noticeably absent from the list of signatories was Assemblyman and mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, a far-left Queens lawmaker known for his extreme anti-Israel views and James’ preferred candidate in the upcoming mayoral race. Mamdani is currently vacationing in his native Uganda.

Councilwoman Inna Vernikov (R-Brooklyn) slammed the original version of the petition through a spokesperson. “New York is being run by a cabal of leftist Hamas apologists who would rather shield terrorists than speak the truth,” the spokesperson said.

“Any acknowledgment of a humanitarian crisis without addressing its cause — a terrorist regime that uses civilians as human shields — is dishonest. Ignoring that reality isn’t compassion; it’s complicity,” Vernikov’s representative added.