Once again, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is introducing legislation aimed at halting U.S. arms sales to Israel.

The senator’s office says the four new joint resolutions of disapproval (JRDs) would block $8.56 billion in arms sales to Israel. The proposed package includes 2,166 small diameter bombs, 2,800 500-pound bombs, tens of thousands of detonators, thousands of Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) guidance kits for use in bombs, 3,000 Hellfire missiles, and 10,000 155mm high-explosive artillery shells.

“Israel had the right to defend itself against Hamas and respond to the brutal terrorist attack on October 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 people and took over 240 hostages,” Sanders said in a statement seen by Al-Quds. “But instead, the extremist Netanyahu government waged an all-out war against the entire Palestinian people, killing over 48,000 and wounding over 111,000 — the vast majority of them women and children.”

“It is unfortunate that much of this carnage was carried out with American bombs and weapons, and Netanyahu used our bombs to destroy or damage nearly 70 percent of the buildings in Gaza, including hundreds of schools. All of this was done in clear violation of American and international law,” he continued.

“With Trump and Netanyahu talking openly about forcibly removing millions of Palestinians from Gaza — in other words, ethnic cleansing — it would be unconscionable to provide more of the bombs and weapons that Israel has used to kill so many civilians and make life unlivable in Gaza,” Sanders asserts.

Sanders points out that the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and the Arms Export Control Act require that such sales be consistent with internationally recognized human rights.

Sanders’ efforts come amid an increasingly fragile ceasefire. This week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been working to “sabotage” a negotiated ceasefire and prisoner swap, reneging on Israel’s pledge to release Palestinian prisoners last Saturday after Hamas freed six Israelis held in Gaza.

Sanders introduced a similar set of resolutions last fall. Although they were defeated, 18 Democrats voted in favor of at least one of them, including Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). It’s unclear whether the legislation will gain more support now that Donald Trump is in office. There are also six new Democrats in the chamber, and of that group, only Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) has indicated he would oppose the move. So far, the new round of resolutions lack any cosponsors.

Some supporters, like Sen. Jon Ossoff, have been attacked by pro-Israel groups for supporting previous efforts. “Bernie Sanders is once again trying to block life-saving military aid to Israel. Will Senate Democrats like Ossoff join him again?” the Senate Republicans account tweeted this week.

Earlier this month, the State Department notified Congress that it planned to sell Israel another $7 billion in weapons. The announcement came just two days after Trump met with Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House and announced his plan to ethnically cleanse and take over Gaza. The Biden administration notified Congress of the sale shortly before he left office.