LONDON: US Senators on Tuesday urged President Joe Biden to stop supplying weapons to Israel.
Seven Democratic senators, including Chris Van Hollen, Tina Smith, Jeff Merkley, and Ben Ray Lujan alongside independent Sen Bernie Sanders have written to Biden telling him his administration’s current policy is contrary to the US Foreign Assistance Act.
According to terms of the act arms cannot be supplied to those foreign nations that restrict humanitarian aid from reaching to civilians.
The UN and other aid organizations have said that Israel has not given safe passage for aid convoys, or has hindered the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Gaza.
The eight signatories, who also include Sen. Elizabeth Warren and her colleagues Maizie Hirono and Peter Welch, in their letter to Biden urged him to make it clear to the Netanyahu that failure to immediately expand humanitarian access and facilitate safe aid deliveries in Gaza.
Sanders told the US media that Israel’s actions are also contrary to the Humanitarian Aid Corridor Act, saying Israel is preventing US humanitarian aid from reaching to the people of Gaza.
He said the President Biden must understands that a growing number of members of Congress, and the American people are tired of seeing the destruction of the people of Gaza.
Sanders went on to say that Israel has the right to protect itself but it does not have right to go to war against the entire Palestinian population.
Many Democrats are trying to put pressure on Biden administration to force Israel to change its policy in Gaza as the war enters its sixth month amid rising civilian casualties.
