Senator Bernie Sanders revealed plans to induce a soon-to-be vote in the Senate regarding the decision to halt the proposed sale of $8.8 billion in particular arms and ammunition to Israel by the Trump administration in the forthcoming week. Despite low odds of these joint resolutions passing in the Republican-majority Congress, a compulsory public vote would put lawmakers on the spot amidst the escalating crisis attributed to Israel’s increasing aggression towards the Gaza Strip. The announcement coincided with a public plea made by Palestinian Americans who had suffered family losses in Gaza, to urge their representative legislators to enforce an arms embargo.
On the day of the announcement, Rajaa Alrayyes, a Chicago resident and Palestinian mother, participated in a press conference. She shared her personal story of loss after Israel bombed a six-story building housing members of her family across three generations, with many still trapped under the wreckage and mistreated posthumously by Israel’s denial of appropriate burial rights. Sanders, a Jew, denounced the policies of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, labeling them as ‘extremist’.
Further, Sanders accused Netanyahu of breaches against both U.S. and global legality during the ongoing crisis in Gaza. He noted the human rights offenses committed by Israel by denying Gaza the necessary supply of food, water and medical aid for over three weeks. Sanders drew attention to Israel’s violation of the Geneva Convention and the Foreign Assistance Act, constituting a moral abomination by obstructing humanitarian assistance.
Sanders also pointed out that supplied by the U.S., Israel has been dropping 2,000-pound explosives in densely populated districts. He held the Trump administration accountable for enabling further destruction by supplying this ammunition. The escalation began after Israel violated a thinly maintained ceasefire agreement with Hamas in Gaza, leading to the death of hundreds as Netanyahu moved to appease right-wing politicians advocating for the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank to make space for Israeli settlers.
Israel’s recent military incursions have resulted in the forced displacement of an estimated 142,000 Palestinians in Gaza who had already been uprooted multiple times. The re-ignition of conflict between Israel and Gaza has led to the death of over 61,000 individuals since October 2023. William Asfour, a 28-year-old Palestinian American, shared his personal account during the press conference to portray the survival tactics of his family members attempting to escape the drones, snipers, and bombs set off by Israel. He said that his family members were scattered across different locations in hopes of increasing chances of survival, so that even if one group were attacked, the rest could potentially survive.
Asfour shared the heartrending loss of many family members, especially a group consisting of seven of his young cousins and their parents who were tragically killed in an onslaught by Israel. He painted a vivid picture of his loss by reading out their names and sharing an image of the youngest casualty, a nine-year-old little girl. The girl’s father had been serving as a physician and nutritionist at Nasser Hospital, only for his entire existence to be shattered when Israel destroyed his residence, resulting in the death of his entire family.
The press conference saw Asfour holding photos displaying the tragic aftermath, including photos of his loved ones. He revealed fresh wounds when he mentioned that attacks against his family had happened as recently as six hours prior. An unfortunate proof of the grim situation was the bombing of Nasser Hospital by the Israeli military, confirmed by both sides as leading to the death of a Hamas official who had been receiving medical assistance there.
An American volunteer medic at Nasser Hospital, Feroze Sidhwa, shared his experience where a teenage patient of his was killed in this attack. He posted about the lost opportunity of the boy’s recovery, who would have been released from the hospital the next day. The attack left Sidhwa with the chilling realization of how his life could have been claimed if he had been attending to the patient at that time. He criticized the war crimes being committed by the attack on medical institutions and demanded it be halted.
Gazan medical facilities are also home to several U.S.-based physicians risking their lives. During an interview with news outlet Zeteo, upon being checked on by a U.S. embassy official in Jerusalem post the bombing of Nasser Hospital, Sidhwa emphasized the need for diplomatic intervention to prevent further attacks. Much to his disbelief, he was told that wasn’t their role.
Sidhwa, alongside other international healthcare workers and human rights groups, strongly disputed Israel’s assertion that Hamas militants were exploiting medical facilities as militant cover. They emphasized that unjustified attacks on civilian healthcare infrastructure constitute a gross violation of the laws of warfare. Gulrana Syed, a U.S.-based emergency physician with Health Care Workers for Palestine, highlighted the direct risks posed to American healthcare professionals by these attacks.
Despite losing a friend in the recent attack on Nasser Hospital, Syed stated her colleague, Tammy Abughnaim, continued her service by treating patients. She called upon citizens to push their Congressional representatives for an immediate ceasefire and cessation of further U.S. arms to Israel. Asfour shared his attempts to reach out to his Congressman, Rep. Sean Casten, but to no avail, questioning the representative’s lack of involvement.
Similarly, The Council on American-Islamic Relations, a civil liberties group for Muslims, urged Representative Bill Foster, a Democrat from Central Illinois, to condemn the attacks on civilians and advocate for a ceasefire. Foster, in avoiding comment, has previously critiqued Netanyahu’s management of the war. Sanders hopes to instigate dialogue within Congress by compelling a vote against the Trump administration’s decision to supply Israel with additional bombs.
Drawing a parallel to previous unsuccessful efforts made in November to block an armament supply to Israel under Biden’s administration, Sanders reiterated the crucial importance of not enabling the Netanyahu Government, accused of exploiting the rising violence for its political gain. Sanders criticised the policy of forced ethnic displacement from Gaza, a crime against humanity, supported by President Trump and Israeli officials for the establishment of a ‘Riviera’.
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