Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) declared Wednesday for the first time that Israel is committing “genocide” in Gaza, marking a sharp escalation in his criticism of the country’s war against Hamas.
In an op-ed titled It Is Genocide, Sanders said Israel has the right to defend itself after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack, but argued its military campaign has gone far beyond self-defense. “Over the last two years, Israel has not simply defended itself against Hamas. Instead, it has waged an all-out war against the entire Palestinian people,” he wrote, citing legal experts and human rights groups that reached similar conclusions.
His remarks came a day after a U.N. Human Rights Council panel concluded Israel had carried out four of the five genocidal acts defined under international law since the conflict began. Israeli officials dismissed the findings as “fake” and “proxies for Hamas,” pointing to studies disputing genocide claims.
Sanders, who is Jewish, highlighted statements from Israeli leaders describing Gaza’s destruction as intentional. He reiterated his calls for the U.S. to halt offensive weapons transfers to Israel, push for an immediate ceasefire, and expand humanitarian aid.
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