Bernie Sanders fumes over Israeli blockade of Gaza, warns of harm to civilians

Vermont Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders is furious with Israel over its move to halt the supply of electricity and other vital supplies to the Gaza Strip in the wake of a major terrorist attack launched from the area.

Terror group Hamas, which controls the strip, conducted a stunning raid over the weekend, storming border towns, seizing hostages, and inflicting considerable civilian casualties. Israeli authorities have since launched retaliatory strikes on Gaza and moved to prepare for a ground assault.

Sanders, for his part, took exception to the siege tactics of the Israel Defense Forces, insisting that "[t]he targeting of civilians is a war crime, no matter who does it," according to Politico. "Israel’s blanket denial of food, water, and other necessities to Gaza is a serious violation of international law and will do nothing but harm innocent civilians."

While Sanders backed the United States' decision to support Israel following the Hamas raid, he cautioned Israeli forces not to disregard the rights of civilians in the densely-populated Gaza Strip.

"The United States has rightly offered solidarity and support to Israel in responding to Hamas' attack. But we must also insist on restraint from Israeli forces attacking Gaza and work to secure UN humanitarian access. Let us not forget that half of the 2 million people in Gaza are children. Children and innocent people do not deserve to be punished for the acts of Hamas," he added.

The region is home to more than 2 million people and has been under Hamas control since 2007.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.