Diyar Güldoğan
30 July 2025•Update: 30 July 2025
WASHINGTON
US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez urged Wednesday the Senate to pass two resolutions introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders aimed at blocking arms sales to Israel, which continues its relentless bombing in Gaza since October 2023.
"The Israeli government’s blockade of food, water, and medicine is a war crime. It is unthinkable that at this moment, when a third of Gaza has not eaten in days, the Senate would greenlight the bombs, guns, and munitions that have already been used to kill 60,000 Palestinians," Ocasio-Cortez said in a statement.
The Senate is expected to vote later Wednesday on the two resolutions to block a $675.7 million arms package, including 1,000-pound bombs, to Israel and to prohibit the sale of tens of thousands of fully automatic assault rifles.
"Today, every Senator has a choice to make: they can uphold U.S. law by preventing the transfer of these weapons, or they can cower to Netanyahu and hand over the arms being used to perpetuate a genocide," she said.
Stressing that the constituents and US allies on the international stage are calling for Congress to end Israeli war in the Gaza Strip, she called for an end of supplying weapons to Israel.
"The Senate must stop this transfer of weapons, and members of Congress in both chambers must increase pressure on Israel to surge aid into Gaza, hold Netanyahu accountable, and stop sending bombs," Ocasio-Cortez added.
The Israeli army, rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, has pursued an offensive on Gaza since late 2023, killing more than 60,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children. The relentless bombardment has destroyed the enclave, and has led to deaths by starvation.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
