Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) announced Thursday his intention to introduce two joint resolutions before the Senate to prevent the sale of certain US assault weapons to Israel.

"Next week, I will force the Senate to vote on two joint resolutions of disapproval I have introduced to prohibit the sale of certain offensive weapons to Israel," Sanders said.

The senator, who has introduced similar bills several times since the beginning of Israel's war of annihilation on Gaza, explained: "These sales, proposed by the Trump administration, will provide $8.8 billion in bombs and other munitions to Prime Minister Netanyahu's extremist government to continue the destruction of Gaza. Netanyahu has clearly violated American and international law in this brutal war, and we must end our complicity in this carnage."

Sanders noted in his proposal that "no humanitarian aid has entered Gaza for more than three and a half weeks, since the Israeli authorities declared a complete blockade—meaning no food, water, medicine, or fuel since the beginning of March. Blocking humanitarian aid is morally repugnant and a clear violation of both the Geneva Convention and foreign aid law."

“This war was waged almost entirely with American weapons, and with nearly $18 billion of American taxpayer money,” Sanders said. “Israel dropped 2,000-pound bombs, provided by the United States, on crowded neighborhoods, killing hundreds of civilians, to eliminate a handful of Hamas fighters, and made little effort to distinguish between civilians and combatants. These actions are immoral and illegal. Trump’s recent sales provide nearly $8.8 billion more in American bombs and other munitions, including more than 35,000 massive 2,000-pound bombs.”

Sanders emphasized that "the United States should not continue to supply the Netanyahu government with endless amounts of military aid and weapons. It is unacceptable, especially at a time when President Trump and Israeli officials are openly talking about forcibly displacing millions of people from Gaza to make way for what Trump calls a 'Riviera.'... There is a name for this policy—ethnic cleansing—and it is a war crime."

Sanders points out: “Hamas started this war with its brutal terrorist attack on October 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 innocent people and took 250 hostage. Israel had the right to respond to Hamas. Instead, the extremist Netanyahu government launched an all-out war against the entire Palestinian people. Out of a population of 2.2 million, more than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 112,000 wounded—60% of them women, children, and the elderly. Last week alone, eight aid workers were killed in Gaza, bringing the total to 399.”

Sanders said, "Israeli bombing has damaged or destroyed 92% of Gaza's housing stock, and has devastated civilian infrastructure and the healthcare system. All 12 of Gaza's universities have been bombed, as have hundreds of schools. Congress must act to block these arms sales."