Concerned about the humanitarian situation in Gaza, the US Senate recently denied attempts to stop the supply of some US weaponry to Israel. In order to stop the Biden administration from selling Israel $20 billion worth of weapons, Senator Bernie Sanders spearheaded the effort to pass joint resolutions of disapproval. However, with only 20 votes out of 100 senators, the resolutions did not receive enough support.
Sanders accused the US of participation because of its sustained armaments support for Israel’s ongoing military activities in Gaza, which have killed over 43,000 people. He emphasized that military aid to organizations engaging in human rights abuses is illegal under US law. However, even when Israel missed a deadline set by the United States to increase humanitarian aid into Gaza, the Biden administration has not halted arms transfers.
The resolutions, which emphasized the need to hold Israel accountable and to match US actions with its laws and values, were endorsed by Senator Elizabeth Warren and other lawmakers. Senator Jeff Merkley, a Democrat, expressed his opposition to the transfer of weaponry used in bombing campaigns that have resulted in significant damage and fatalities. According to UN statistics, the humanitarian situation in Gaza is terrible, with 90% of Palestinians displaced and over 65% of houses and vital infrastructure damaged.
The goal of this failed attempt to stop military deliveries was to express disapproval of Israeli practices and put pressure on the Biden administration and Israel to address the deteriorating humanitarian situation.
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