Senator Bernie Sanders displayed photos of starving Palestinian children in Gaza on the floor of the US Senate on Monday to explain his decision to boycott an upcoming speech by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was formally invited by Democratic and Republican leaders to address a joint meeting of Congress amid Israel's disastrous assault on Gaza.

In his speech on Monday, Sanders (independent from Vermont) stressed that the Israeli war that has been going on for months has had horrific effects on Palestinian children, criticizing US House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson (Republican from Louisiana) for eating “luxury steaks” in his meals. Fundraising dinner with his “party” while the Israeli army prevents vital food aid from entering Gaza, causing children to starve to death, according to Common Dreams.

“This is a photo of a child in Gaza taken by Getty,” the Vermont senator said as an aide showed a photo of an emaciated Palestinian child.

This photo was one of several that Sanders showed during his speech, stressing that there are thousands of children in Gaza suffering from acute malnutrition “as a direct result of the policies of Netanyahu, the man invited by Speaker Johnson to address Congress.”

“No, I will not be present for this speech,” Sanders said.

Sanders is one of several progressive US lawmakers expected to boycott Netanyahu's speech to Congress, the timing of which remains unclear after the Israeli Prime Minister's Office denied reports by Punchbull and other media that the date had been set for June 13, with Biden scheduled to attend. Out of the country that day.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), chair of the roughly 100-member Congressional Progressive Caucus, told Axios on Monday that she expects the boycott of Netanyahu's speech to be "significant," noting that there are "a lot of people who have expressed that they are very upset because... Come here.”

According to Axios, “Jayapal said she spoke to several lawmakers who attended Netanyahu’s 2015 speech (to Congress) but said they would not attend this time.”

Speaking to reporters at the US Capitol on Tuesday, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) indicated she would join the boycott of Congress, saying the Israeli prime minister “should not be here.”

“I don’t think it helps to call him a Republican or a Democrat,” she added.

Netanyahu faces charges from the International Criminal Court of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip, including “starving civilians as a method of war” and “deliberately causing great suffering.” Last month, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court formally submitted a request to issue arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant.

Whatever the date of his speech before the US Congress, protests are expected to greet Netanyahu upon his arrival in Washington, DC

Recent survey data showed that the majority of Americans oppose the Israeli war on Gaza and want the Biden administration to cut off American arms sales to the country.

James Zogby, founder of the Arab American Institute, said of Netanyahu late Monday: “He is an accused criminal in Israel and indicted as a war criminal at the International Criminal Court and they invited him to speak here!” Shame".

Earlier, Sanders said that inviting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the US Congress to deliver a speech is considered a “sad day for the country.”

In a post on the X website, Sanders stressed that Netanyahu is a “war criminal,” adding that he will definitely not attend the session in which he will speak.