Sanders demands Congress not fund Israel's 'immoral' war

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., is demanding Congress refrain from providing $10.1 billion in funding being considered for Israel’s war against Hamas, citing what he calls the Israeli government’s "grossly disproportionate" actions in Gaza.

"While we recognize that Hamas’ barbaric terrorist attack began this war, we must also recognize that Israel’s military response has been grossly disproportionate, immoral, and in violation of international law," he said on Tuesday. 

Sanders, who is Jewish and spent several months volunteering on a kibbutz in Israel in the 1960s, expressed support for Israel after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack killed about 1,200 people in Israel and resulted in the kidnappings of 240 others. However, the liberal Vermont independent faced outrage from fellow progressives for not calling for an outright ceasefire, and he has only called for a "humanitarian ceasefire."

Citing numbers provided by the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatant deaths, Sanders said Tuesday that since Oct. 7, "over 22,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli strikes, two-thirds of these victims have been women and children – and 57,000 have been wounded."

The Israel Defense Forces said late last month that it killed 8,000 terrorists affiliated with Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas in Gaza since Oct. 7, according to Israeli outlet i24NEWS. Additionally, at least some of the deaths in Gaza may be the result of failed rocket launches, as Israeli experts have estimated between 10%-20% of rockets launched from the area fall inside the Gaza Strip or into the Mediterranean Sea.

Sanders had voted last month against advancing a $110 billion aid package that included more than $10 billion for Israel and over $60 billion for Ukraine's war against Russia.

The senator acknowledged that Congress is working to pass the bill and wrote in his statement Tuesday: "Enough is enough. Congress must reject that funding. The taxpayers of the United States must no longer be complicit in destroying the lives of innocent men, women, and children in Gaza."

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