Washington DC (Quds News Network) – Amid calls for an immediate ceasefire that could end the ongoing Israeli genocide in the Gaza Strip, an increasing number of US Senators are rallying behind an amendment that could impact military aid to Israel.
The move comes in response to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announcing his rejection of the idea of an independent Palestinian state.
Five Democratic Senators, including Tina Smith, Raphael Warnock, Laphonza Butler, Tammy Baldwin, and Jon Ossoff, announced their support for an amendment introduced by Senator Chris Van Hollen. The amendment proposes conditioning military aid to countries, including Israel, requiring them to use US weapons in accordance with humanitarian and US law.
With these recent additions, the total number of Senators supporting Van Hollen’s amendment has reached 18, surpassing a third of the Senate Democratic caucus.
On Sunday, Senator Van Hollen became the latest advocate for a ceasefire in the Israeli war on Gaza. In an interview, he voiced his concern over Prime Minister Netanyahu’s public rebuff of President Biden, urging a bold approach.
“It is time we have a ceasefire… Biden needs to go big and bold. He needs to put forward the vision of a two-state solution,” stated Van Hollen.
The Biden administration and Israel have been at odds over a post-war plan for Gaza since the surprise Hamas operation on southern Israel on October 7. Netanyahu’s public opposition to the Biden administration’s call for steps to create a Palestinian state has added strain to the diplomatic relations.
“I shall not compromise on full Israeli security control of the entire area west of the Jordan River – and that is irreconcilable with a Palestinian state,” Netanyahu asserted in a social media post on Saturday.
The growing support for Van Hollen’s bill reflects a shifting dynamic within the Democratic Party, with concerns raised about Israel shedding allies. Notably, Senators like Tammy Baldwin, aligned with the progressive wing, have backed the amendment, emphasizing the need for American taxpayer dollars to align with values and interests.
Other lawmakers, including Georgia’s Raphael Warnock, expressed early bipartisan support after the October attack, endorsing what he described as Israel’s ‘right to defend itself’ and advocating for the emergency resupply of weapons systems.
Israel’s rejection of the US roadmap for post-war Gaza comes as the death toll in the besieged enclave continues to rise. In the last 24 hours, the Palestinian health ministry reported 20 Israeli attacks across Gaza, bringing the total number of Palestinians killed to 25,295, primarily women and children, with at least 63,000 wounded.
Despite criticism of the mounting civilian death toll, the Biden administration has taken limited action to rein in the Israeli offensive, which President Biden himself described as indiscriminate.
Efforts to impose limits on US military support in the Senate have faced challenges. Last week, the Senate overwhelmingly voted against a resolution by Senator Bernie Sanders, aiming to report evidence of human rights violations by Israel in Gaza.
Sanders’ amendment invoked a code in the US foreign aid law, potentially freezing US military aid to Israel if a report wasn’t produced in 30 days.
Van Hollen’s amendment calls for the administration to report within 30 days on the use of US weapons, ensuring compliance with end-use monitoring, US and international law.
It also mandates reporting on mitigating harm to civilians and cooperation with US humanitarian assistance efforts. While Van Hollen criticizes Israel for lack of cooperation, the amendment allows the president to issue waivers in the interests of US national security.
The amendment excludes air defense systems or other systems deemed for strictly defensive purposes from its scope. As support for the amendment grows, its potential impact on US-Israel relations and the broader geopolitical landscape remains a focal point of discussion in Washington.