Senators' voices rise as children starve: 'How many more kids?'
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In a letter, seven Democrats and an independent have contended that the US administration violated a section of the law prohibiting military aid to any entity impeding humanitarian assistance.
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A father holds his child as they receive treatment at a trauma ward in Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza, on October 2023. (AFP via Getty Images)
A group of Democratic senators has called on President Biden to halt the provision of offensive weaponry to "Israel" in its aggression on Gaza until "Tel Aviv" removes restrictions on US-backed humanitarian aid entering Gaza.
In a letter addressed to President Biden, Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont, along with seven Democratic colleagues, contended that the ongoing provision of weapons to "Israel" violated the Foreign Assistance Act. This legislation prohibits military assistance to any entity that impedes the distribution of humanitarian aid.
This marked the most recent attempt by members of President Biden's political party to increase pressure on him. They are urging Biden to leverage his influence to compel Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to alter his approach and alleviate the plight of Palestinians as the offensive in Gaza extends into its fifth month.
“We urge you to make it clear to the Netanyahu government that failure to immediately and dramatically expand humanitarian access and facilitate safe aid deliveries throughout Gaza will lead to serious consequences, as specified under existing US law,” the group wrote.
According to Sanders, it is evident that Netanyahu's actions violate the conditions outlined in the Humanitarian Aid Corridor Act, a component of the foreign assistance law. The act stipulates that upon the President's notification of an entity impeding American humanitarian assistance, the provision of US military aid is prohibited.
“That’s exactly what Israel is doing; they are preventing US humanitarian assistance from getting to the people of Gaza,” Sanders stressed in an interview. “They are in violation of the law, and therefore financial aid should be suspended.”
This action represents the most recent effort by Democrats in Congress to express their dissatisfaction with Netanyahu's behavior and to pressure President Biden to leverage his authority in an attempt to alter "Israel's" tactics. As civilian casualties escalate and reports of starvation grow, Senators Chris Van Hollen of Maryland and Jeff Merkley of Oregon penned the letter, garnering signatures from some of the Democratic Party's most progressive members, including Senators Mazie K. Hirono of Hawaii, Peter Welch of Vermont, and Tina Smith of Minnesota.
“I hope the president understands that a growing number of members of Congress, and the American people in general, are sick and tired of seeing the destruction of the people of Gaza and the creation of mass starvation,” Sanders said.
To date, Congress has not demonstrated the capability to effectively leverage its influence to induce a shift in Israeli atrocities. Advocates for limiting or tying military aid to alterations in Netanyahu's behavior lack the necessary votes for the approval of such measures in either the House or the Senate. Consequently, their expressions of concern about the Israeli genocide and the resulting hardship in Gaza have been conveyed primarily through emphatic letters, yielding minimal action from Biden.
“People are now dying of starvation, and we need to use all the leverage we’ve got,” Van Hollen said. “The administration has not used the leverage it has today. I don’t know how many more kids have to starve before we use all the levers of our influence here, but they really need to do more.”
