US Republican lawmaker urges halt to arms transfers to Israel

ISTANBUL

A US Republican lawmaker urged Washington on Friday to stop sending weapons to Israel, saying it would help prevent civilian displacement in the Gaza Strip.

“Instead of accepting refugees from Gaza, the United States should quit giving munitions to Israel to create refugees,” Thomas Massie wrote on the US social media company X.

Massie, a member of President Donald Trump’s Republican Party and a vocal critic of US military aid to Israel, has consistently called for an end to American assistance to Israel.

In March 2024, Massie voted against a congressional bill to compel then-President Joe Biden to authorize additional military support for Israel.

The Israeli army has continued its war on Gaza since October 2023, despite international calls for a ceasefire, killing nearly 61,900 Palestinians in what has been described as the second year of a genocide in Gaza.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel is also facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its actions in the enclave.