In the wake of the terrorist attack by Hamas in October, in which roughly 1,200 Israelis were killed and hundreds taken hostage, the White House, along with a slew of American lawmakers, have highlighted the need to aid Israel. But some Democrats in Congress have raised concerns about the humanitarian need in Gaza, as Israel has embarked on a military campaign with the stated goal of eradicating Hamas, resulting in the deaths of more than 11,000 Palestinians, many of them children, according to the Health Ministry in Gaza. Meanwhile, the growing calls for either a cease-fire or a temporary pause in the conflict are mounting, amid growing backlash to Israel’s response among younger Americans and Democratic voters.
On Saturday, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders said in a statement that military aid to Israel should be conditioned on a “fundamental change in their military and political positions.” Those conditions include “an end to the indiscriminate bombing which has taken thousands of civilian lives and a significant pause in military operations,” allowing displaced Gazans to return to their homes, forbidding the “long-term Israeli re-occupation or blockade of Gaza,” ending settler violence in the occupied West Bank and “a freeze on settlement expansion,” as well as a renewed commitment to peace talks and a pursuit to a two-state solution to the decades-long conflict.