US lawmakers urge halt to weapons for Israel over Gaza aid blockade

Former U.S. President Joe Biden (C) presides over a cabinet meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L), Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and others at the White House on September 20, 2024 in Washington, DC [Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images]

Twenty Democratic members of the US Congress have called on the Biden administration to suspend transfers of offensive weapons to Israel, citing the Israeli government’s failure to meet humanitarian aid requirements for Gaza.

In a letter addressed to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin yesterday, the lawmakers highlighted Israel’s “massive failure” to comply with US demands, noting that only 42 aid trucks per day on average entered Gaza over a 30-day period, far below the minimum requirement of 350 trucks specified by the administration.

“We believe continuing to transfer offensive weapons to the Israeli government prolongs the suffering of the Palestinian people and risks our own national security by sending a message to the world that the US will apply its laws, policies and international law selectively,” said the letter’s signatories.

The congressional push comes amid major legal challenges to US military support for Israel. Just days ago, a landmark federal lawsuit was filed against Blinken in the US District Court for the District of Columbia by Palestinians and Palestinian-Americans, including Gaza teacher Amal Gaza, who has been displaced seven times and lost 20 family members to Israeli attacks. The lawsuit accuses Blinken of systematically failing to implement the Leahy Law through the creation of what the plaintiffs describe as “distinct and insurmountable processes” designed specifically to shield Israel from accountability.

The complaint highlights that while the State Department has suspended thousands of security units from other countries under the Leahy Law since 1997, it has not suspended a single Israeli unit, despite extensive documentation of rights violations. This comes as Israel has received approximately $17.9 billion in US military aid over the past year, providing more than half of Israel’s weapons arsenal since October 2023.

Today, I’m leading 20 Members of Congress to demand that the Biden Admin withhold offensive weapons from the Israeli military.

U.S. law is clear: if the Netanyahu government does not allow sufficient food & medicine to enter Gaza, then the U.S. cannot send weapons. pic.twitter.com/NHhhZMuGt1

— Congressman Greg Casar (@RepCasar) December 17, 2024

Representative Greg Casar, who will lead the Congressional Progressive Caucus next year, emphasised the legal obligations at stake: “US law is clear: if the Netanyahu government does not allow sufficient food and medicine to enter Gaza, then the US cannot send weapons.”

The lawmakers cited an independent report by eight leading humanitarian organisations, including Save the Children and Oxfam, which found that Israel “failed to fully meet any of the Biden Administration’s own criteria to blunt the catastrophe in Gaza.”

This congressional intervention comes amid mounting international concern over Israel’s conduct in Gaza, with the International Court of Justice considering genocide charges and issuing provisional orders regarding the deprivation of essential supplies to Palestinians. The International Criminal Court, meanwhile, has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes.

The letter warns that failure to act would not only prolong Israel’s war, but also risk “isolating Israel on the international stage and creating further instability in the region.” While the Biden administration has consistently pledged “ironclad” support for Israel, this latest push highlights growing pressure from progressive Democrats to condition military aid on compliance with humanitarian obligations and US law.

Source: middleeastmonitor