Eight U.S. senators have sent a letter to President Joe Biden asking him to issue an ultimatum to Israel: increase aid to Gaza or lose U.S. military aid.
The letter, released Tuesday, is the latest effort by U.S. lawmakers to question continued U.S. support for Israel amid the Gaza war. This also comes in the wake of Biden's own willingness to publicly criticize Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Former presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren were among the senators who signed the letter. Other signees include Maisie Hirono of Hawaii, Chris Van Hollen of Maryland and Jeff Merkley of Oregon.
They called on Biden to abide by Section 620I of the Foreign Assistance Act, which prohibits aid to countries that restrict access to humanitarian assistance.
“According to public reports and your own statements, the Netanyahu government is violating this law,” the eight senators said in the letter.
“Given this reality, we urge the Netanyahu regime to immediately and dramatically expand humanitarian access and facilitate the safe delivery of aid to all of Gaza, as required by current U.S. law. We strongly urge you to make it clear that there will be serious consequences.”
Israel denies blocking humanitarian aid to Gaza, but international workers say ongoing violence, border crossing closures and other obstacles are making it difficult for Israeli authorities to deliver aid. He blames it.
In February, for example, UN officials accused the Israeli navy of firing on a convoy delivering food to northern Gaza. The Palestinian enclave has been under siege since October 7, with limited access to food, water and other basic supplies.
More than 31,180 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli military operations, experts say, and many more are at risk of starvation and malnutrition.
“The United States should not provide military assistance to any country that obstructs U.S. humanitarian assistance,” the senators said in their letter.
“Federal law is clear and given the urgency of the Gaza crisis and Prime Minister Netanyahu’s repeated refusal to address U.S. concerns on the issue, ensuring policy changes by his administration is urgent. Action is needed.”
The United Nations said regular ground deliveries, equivalent to about 300 trucks a day, are needed to meet the needs of Gazans. Currently, up to 150 animals reach the area every day.
The Biden administration announced last week that it would set up a temporary pier off the coast of Gaza to deliver more aid by sea, but construction is expected to take several weeks. The United States has also recently begun airdropping aid to the enclave.
Meanwhile, Biden has made contradictory statements about how he intends to address growing concerns about Israeli military action.
On Saturday, for example, he said an invasion of the southern city of Rafah would be a “red line” that Israel must not cross. Still, he said he would never “leave Israel” or “cut off all weapons” for the sake of this country.
Israel receives $3.8 billion in military funding and missile defense assistance from the United States each year, and has broad bipartisan support in the U.S. Congress.
Still, a growing number of members of Congress, particularly on the left, are actively criticizing America's “ironclad” allies.
Progressive members of the U.S. House of Representatives, including Cori Bush and Rashida Tlaib, were among the first to call for a ceasefire last October.
These calls were then echoed in the Senate. In January, Sen. Sanders introduced a resolution calling on the U.S. State Department to produce a report within 30 days investigating whether Israel committed human rights abuses in the Gaza operation.
However, the resolution failed to pass the House floor with a vote of 72-11.
Still, pressure is mounting for the United States to continue providing aid to Israel conditional on compliance with humanitarian law.
In February, President Biden's White House released a national security memorandum requiring countries receiving U.S. weapons to certify in writing that they are acting in accordance with international law.
But the move fell short of the influence critics expect the United States to wield over Israel.
Meanwhile, the Biden administration bypassed Congress and approved emergency arms transfers to Israel. It also continues to pursue more than $14 billion in additional aid to the country.
In an interview on Al Jazeera's Bottom Line show on Saturday, Sen. Van Hollen said it was time for the Biden administration to send a message to Israel, saying, “If you continue to ignore us, there will be consequences.” Ta.