21 US lawmakers introduce resolution for Gaza genocide recognition
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Over 20 US lawmakers, led by Rashida Tlaib, have introduced a resolution recognizing "Israel’s" actions in Gaza as genocide.
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US Representative Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., right, speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Washington (AP)
A group of 21 Democratic lawmakers, led by US Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, has introduced a resolution formally recognizing Israeli actions in Gaza as genocide. The resolution also demands that Washington fulfill its legal obligations under the Genocide Convention to prevent and punish the crime.
In a statement on Friday, Tlaib, the only Palestinian-American in Congress, said that the resolution “officially recognizes that Israel has committed the crime of genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza” and urges the United States to “take immediate, concrete action.”
“The Israeli regime’s genocide in Gaza has not ended, and it will not end until we act,” the statement reads. Tlaib also condemned the US government for enabling atrocities by giving the Israeli occupation a “blank check for war crimes and ethnic cleansing.”
The resolution argues that actions by the Israeli military meet the legal definition of genocide. It references mass civilian casualties, deliberate starvation, systematic destruction of infrastructure, and official statements that demonstrate intent to destroy, in whole or in part, the Palestinian population in Gaza.
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Resolution cites Israeli actions, intent
Among the statements cited in the resolution is one by former Israeli Security Minister Yoav Gallant, who declared on October 9, 2023, “We are imposing a complete siege on the Gaza Strip. No electricity, no food, no water, no fuel.”
The measure has garnered support from 20 other Democratic lawmakers, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley, Ro Khanna, Pramila Jayapal, and others. Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene and Senator Bernie Sanders, though not sponsors of the resolution, have both criticized the Israeli occupation's conduct in Gaza.
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International and domestic support for the measure
The resolution has been endorsed by over 100 human rights organizations. Elizabeth Rghebi, Middle East advocacy director at Amnesty International USA, said in a statement that the measure marks a critical step toward accountability.
“This resolution is an important step towards recognizing Israel’s actions against Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip for what they are – genocide,” Rghebi said. She emphasized that as a signatory to the Genocide Convention, the US has a binding obligation to act.
Other international bodies have drawn similar conclusions. The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry, the International Association of Genocide Scholars, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and B’Tselem are among those that have labeled the Israeli aggression on Gaza as genocidal in nature.
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Death toll continues to rise in Gaza
Since October 2023, the Israeli occupation has killed at least 69,187 Palestinians in Gaza, the majority of them women and children, and injured 170,703 others, according to the latest figures.
The humanitarian catastrophe continues to escalate as "Israel’s" ongoing bombing campaign and siege have destroyed vital infrastructure and created conditions of famine, disease, and mass displacement.
Lawmakers backing the Gaza genocide resolution argue that recognition and legal accountability are urgent steps toward ending the ongoing assault and preventing further loss of life.
