• Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene became the first in her party to publicly describe the Gaza situation as a ‘genocide’

• A record number of Senate Democrats voted this week to block US arms sales to Israel, but the resolutions were defeated by wide margins

WASHINGTON

A growing number of US lawmakers are expressing alarm over the worsening humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, with some now accusing Israel of committing genocide through its blockade and starvation campaign.

Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene became the first in her party to publicly describe the situation as a “genocide,” while simultaneously condemning Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attacks and Israel’s ongoing military operations.

“What has been happening to innocent people and children in Gaza is horrific,” Greene wrote Sunday on X. “This war and humanitarian crisis must end!”

Greene had previously attempted to strip $500 million in US funding for Israel’s Iron Dome defense system, criticizing the bombing of Gaza’s only Catholic church and the “wiping out” of the enclave’s civilian population. Her effort failed in a lopsided 422-6 House vote.

Republican Rep. Lance Gooden of Texas also voiced concern over Israel’s starvation of Palestinians. “We must allow aid to enter Gaza. Ending this hunger crisis will not only spare the lives of children but will strip Hamas of its ability to use innocent children as pawns,” he wrote Monday on X.

Senate Democrats break ranks over arms sales

In a striking sign of growing congressional dissent, a record number of Senate Democrats – more than half the caucus – voted this week to block US arms sales to Israel, marking the most significant legislative opposition to military support for Israel in years.

Two resolutions aimed at halting the transfers were defeated by wide margins, 27-70 and 24-73, but the votes included support from 26 and 23 Democrats, respectively, showing a growing divide within the party as images of Palestinian children starved by Israel circulate globally.

More than 40 Senate Democrats also signed a letter addressed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, urging the Trump administration to respond to the worsening hunger and resume diplomatic efforts for a ceasefire.

The letter sharply criticized the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a controversial US- and Israeli-backed initiative, which the lawmakers said had failed to deliver critical assistance while leading to the killings of over 1,000 Palestinians near aid distribution sites.

“The acute humanitarian crisis in Gaza is also unsustainable and worsens by the day. Hunger and malnutrition are widespread, and, alarmingly, deaths due to starvation, especially among children, are increasing,” wrote the group, led by Senators Chris Coons, Adam Schiff, Chuck Schumer, Brian Schatz and Jacky Rosen.

“The ‘Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’ has failed to address the deepening humanitarian crisis and contributed to an unacceptable and mounting civilian death toll around the organization’s sites,” they said.

‘Enough is enough’

Independent Senator Bernie Sanders, long critical of Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, issued a forceful condemnation. “The Netanyahu government’s extermination of Gaza is entering a new and terrible phase,” he said last week.

“Despite these war crimes, carried out daily in plain view, the United States has provided more than $22 billion for Israel’s military operations since this war began. In other words, American taxpayer dollars are being used to starve children, bomb civilians and support the cruelty of Netanyahu and his criminal ministers. Enough is enough.”

Sanders called for an end to all US military aid to Israel and urged President Donald Trump and Congress to use “the full scope of American influence” to stop the war.

Senator Angus King of Maine, another independent aligned with Democrats, also signaled a break with previous support for Israel.

“I cannot defend the indefensible,” King said Monday, calling Israel’s failure to address the humanitarian catastrophe “an affront to human decency.”

It “appears to be a deliberately-induced famine among a civilian population,” King added, noting he would no longer back US aid to Israel without a “demonstrable change” in its policy.

House Democrats denounce ‘moral crisis’

In the House, Rep. Andre Carson of Indiana joined the chorus of dissent, urging an arms embargo and citing reports that more than 150 Palestinians, including over 80 children, have died from starvation.

“Israeli strikes are targeting dozens of people seeking the little aid there is at what’s being described as humanitarian death traps,” he said. “This is a moral crisis.”

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez echoed the concern, labeling the famine “forced” and accusing Israel of “withholding food aid.”

“The US government must pressure Israel to immediately let in more aid and stop shooting people trying to feed their families,” she wrote on X. “End the genocide now.”

Speaking from the House floor, Rep. Maxine Dexter called the famine “the result of choices” and accused the GHF of “annihilating the very principles of neutrality and humanitarian relief.”

Senator Chris Van Hollen accused the Netanyahu government and Trump administration of replacing aid organizations with “mercenaries – leading to more death and devastation.”

“This cannot continue,” he wrote on X.

Defenders of Israel remain

Still, some US lawmakers have continued to defend Israel’s actions.

Democrat Rep. Grace Meng said her heart breaks for starving children, but contended that “Israel has facilitated the entry of over 1.8 million tons and over 96,000 trucks into Gaza,” blaming Hamas for prolonging the war.

Senator John Fetterman, a Democrat who has been one of Israel’s most consistent defenders, also placed the blame on Hamas. “Many people blame Israel, but Hamas is responsible for this hell on earth,” he wrote on X.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries shifted attention to the Trump administration, criticizing its handling of the conflict. “The Trump administration has the ability to bring an end to this humanitarian crisis. They must act now,” he said.

But others in Trump’s party have doubled down. Republican Rep. Randy Fine dismissed the humanitarian concerns outright. “Release the hostages. Until then, starve away,” he wrote on X, a post that garnered much attention and criticism.