Sen. Bernie Sanders asserted on Tuesday that the U.S. is currently in "violation of the law" due to it supplying Israel with weapons despite its offensive on Gaza and allegations that Israel has blocked humanitarian aid into Gaza.
"The United States government is currently in violation of the law, and every member of the U.S. Senate who believes in the rule of law should vote for these resolutions," said the Vermont senator, who introduced resolutions to block U.S. from sending weapons to Israel.
"The Foreign Assistance Act and the Arms Export Control Act are very clear," Sanders said. "The United States cannot provide weaponry to countries that violate internationally recognized human rights or block U.S. humanitarian aid."
Israel announced measures to increase the flow of aid to Gaza last week. The Biden administration said that Israel has made some progress in allowing aid to come through and "have not made an assessment that the Israelis are in violation of U.S. law."
Humanitarian aid groups, however, contend that Israel failed to meet American goals of allowing greater humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip, as experts warn that the enclave is on the brink of famine.
"According to the United Nations, much of the international community and every humanitarian organization on the ground in Gaza, Israel is clearly in violation of these laws," Sanders continued.
"Under these circumstances, it is illegal for the U.S. government to provide them with more offensive weaponry," Sanders said. "Joint resolutions of disapproval are Congress's tool to enforce those laws."
