Eight US senators have sent a letter to President Joe Biden calling on him to give Israel an ultimatum: increase aid to Gaza or lose US military assistance.
The letter, released Tuesday, is the latest attempt by U.S. lawmakers to question continued U.S. support for Israel over its war in Gaza. It also comes as Biden himself has become more willing to openly criticize Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, both former presidential candidates, were among the senators who signed the letter. Other signatories include Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, Chris Van Hollen of Maryland and Jeff Merkley of Oregon.
They called on Biden to comply with Section 620I of the Foreign Assistance Act, which prohibits aid to countries that restrict access to humanitarian aid.
“According to public information and your own statements, the Netanyahu government is violating this law,” the eight senators said in the letter.
“Given this reality, we urge you to make it clear to the Netanyahu government that failure to immediately and significantly expand humanitarian access and facilitate safe aid deliveries throughout Gaza will result in serious consequences, such as current American law specifies this. »
Israel has denied blocking humanitarian aid to Gaza, but international workers have accused Israeli authorities of making the delivery of aid difficult, through continued violence, closed border crossings and other obstacles.
In February, for example, United Nations workers accused the Israeli navy of firing on a convoy carrying food to northern Gaza. The Palestinian enclave has been under siege since October 7, with limited access to food, water and other basic necessities.
More than 31,180 Palestinians have died during Israel’s military campaign, and more are at risk of starvation and malnutrition, experts say.
“The United States should not provide military assistance to any country that interferes with U.S. humanitarian assistance,” the senators said in their letter.
“Federal law is clear, and given the urgency of the crisis in Gaza and Prime Minister Netanyahu’s repeated refusal to address American concerns on this issue, immediate action is necessary to secure a change in policy from his government . »
The UN has said regular ground deliveries, equivalent to around 300 trucks per day, are needed to meet the needs of Gaza’s population. Currently, a maximum of 150 people arrive in the territory each day.
The Biden administration announced last week that it would install a temporary pier off the coast of Gaza to deliver more aid by sea, although construction is expected to take several weeks. The United States also recently began dropping aid into the enclave.
Biden, meanwhile, has made conflicting statements about how he intends to address growing concerns about Israeli military actions.
On Saturday, for example, he said an invasion of the southern city of Rafah would constitute a “red line” that Israel should not cross. He nevertheless declared that he would “never leave Israel” or “cut off all weapons” for the country.
Israel receives $3.8 billion in military funding and missile defense aid from the United States each year, and the country enjoys broad bipartisan support in the U.S. Congress.
Yet a growing number of lawmakers, particularly on the left, are willing to level criticism of the United States’ “ironclad” ally.
Progressive lawmakers in the US House of Representatives, including Cori Bush and Rashida Tlaib, were among the first members of Congress to call for a ceasefire in October last year.
These calls have since been reflected in the Senate. In January, Senator Sanders introduced a resolution calling on the U.S. State Department to produce a report within 30 days examining whether Israel committed human rights violations in its Gaza campaign.
The resolution, however, did not pass the House, with a vote of 72-11.
Yet pressure has increased for continued U.S. aid to Israel to be conditional on respect for humanitarian law.
In February, the Biden White House issued a national security memorandum requiring countries that receive U.S. weapons to provide written declarations that they are acting in accordance with international law.
But the measure falls short of the leverage critics hope the United States will exert over Israel.
The Biden administration, meanwhile, bypassed Congress to approve emergency arms transfers to Israel. He also continues to seek more than $14 billion in additional aid for the country.
In an interview with Tel Aviv Tribune’s Bottom Line on Saturday, Senator Van Hollen said it was time for the Biden administration to send a message to Israel: “If you continue to ignore us, there is will have consequences. »
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