On October 13, the Biden administration gave Israel 30 days to “surge all forms of humanitarian assistance throughout Gaza” — or else further U.S. weapons shipments could be blocked.1
On Tuesday, Israel blew past that deadline while deliveries of humanitarian aid to Gaza fell to the lowest level in months, in flagrant defiance of U.S. demands.2
Enough is enough. The slaughter in Gaza will not stop until the U.S. stops providing Benjamin Netanyahu’s endless supply of bombs.
Next week, the U.S. Senate is expected to vote on a series of resolutions by Senator Bernie Sanders that would block $20 billion in arms sales to Israel.3 Now it’s up to us to turn up the heat and stop the never-ending flow of bombs to Netanyahu.
For instance, under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, the U.S. is banned from providing weapons to countries that block U.S. humanitarian aid. Israel has clearly and repeatedly blocked delivery of humanitarian aid throughout the war, most recently banning the main U.N. agency responsible for delivering aid to Gaza.4
Other laws, including the Arms Export Control Act, state that U.S. military aid can only be used for legitimate self-defense, while Israel has clearly gone far beyond any reasonable definition of self-defense with its assaults on Gaza, Lebanon, and the West Bank.5
President Biden gave Benjamin Netanyahu one last chance to comply with U.S. law with the 30-day deadline. Netanyahu basically laughed in his face.
The Gaza Health Ministry reports that over 43,665 people have been killed since the start of the war 13 months ago, the vast majority being women and children.6 Researchers at Brown University estimate that the true number of dead from all war-related causes is over 114,000.7
The U.S. can and must take action to end this slaughter now. We’ve already mobilized over 100,000 people to demand a ceasefire, and we’re turning up the heat to support Sen. Bernie Sanders’s resolution to stop the $20 billion weapons sale to Israel.
With gratitude,
The team at Demand Progress Action
Sources:
1. Common Dreams, “Biden (Finally) Threatens to Halt Arms to Israel Over Gaza Carnage,” October 15, 2024.
2. The Guardian, “Aid to Gaza falls to lowest level in 11 months despite US ultimatum to Israel,” November 11, 2024.
3. Press release, “NEWS: Sanders Announces Vote Next Week to Block Arms Sales to Israel,” November 13, 2024.
4. The Hill, “Democratic senators demand Biden halt military aid to Israel,” March 12, 2024.
5. Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN), “U.S.: Cease and Desist Support for Israel’s Violations of U.S. and International Law,” November 12, 2024.
6. United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, “Reported impact snapshot | Gaza Strip (12 November 2024),” November 12, 2024.
7. Mother Jones, “Report: In One Year, More Than 100,000 Deaths in Gaza—Aided by $17.9 Billion From the US,” October 8, 2024. 
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