Tim Kaine urges withholding 'offensive' weapons from Israel

Virginia Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine on Friday urged the Biden administration to withhold "offensive" weapons from Israel while critiquing Jerusalem's handling of the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

"I renew my request that the Biden Administration prioritize the transfer of defensive weapons in all arms sales to Israel while withholding bombs and other offensive weapons that can kill and wound civilians and humanitarian aid workers," Kaine said in a statement. "Israel must have the capacity to defend itself against those—like Hamas—who would annihilate it. But more offensive weapons delivered at this moment will only further widen suffering in Israel, Gaza and the region."

The Israel Defense Forces have invaded the coastal region in a bid to oust Hamas from power after an Oct. 7 raid in which its forces killed roughly 1,200 civilians and took more than 200 hostages. Israel has attracted international condemnation over its tactics in the densely populated area and the reported civilian death toll.

Kaine, for his part, highlighted the need for expanding humanitarian aid to the civilian population while lamenting the Israeli government's reluctance to permit such an undertaking.

"Recent events have made plain that much more needs to be done to protect innocent life. This is particularly the case regarding the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza," he said. "The aid is needed to avert famine and disease. But despite constant pressure from the United States, other nations, and international organizations, the amount of aid allowed by Israel to enter Gaza has been painfully slow and dramatically inadequate."

He further pointed to an Israeli strike earlier this week that killed several workers with the World Central Kitchen charity that has attracted considerable scrutiny, saying "the United States should join in the call for an independent and international investigation into Monday’s strike on World Central Kitchen volunteers, in which an American was killed."

WCK paused its operations in Gaza following the incident.

Kaine went on to celebrate that President Joe Biden had successfully urged Israel to open the Erez checkpoint in northern Gaza to allow for more emergency aid to the region.

"But this was an obvious solution that should have happened months ago. It follows a similar pattern of lengthy delay before Israel allowed the Kerem Shalom crossing to be used to provide aid to hundreds of thousands of people who had been instructed to move into Southern Gaza," he lamented. "If Israel had allowed existing border crossings to be used to allow life-sustaining aid to reach Gaza, there would be no need for dangerous air-drops or complicated plans for building marine piers."

Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the phone on Thursday and urged him to both accept an immediate ceasefire in Gaza as well as to address the humanitarian situation. He further hinted that Washington's policy toward Israel was contingent on such actions by Jerusalem.

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