“Greenlighting billions of dollars in unconditional military and security funding at a moment when there’s concern about atrocities including war crimes and the risk of genocide is truly unthinkable, and sends a chilling message of impunity to Israeli authorities. The U.S. Government must stop sending weapons to Israel or risk complicity.
“Palestinians are at risk of genocide in the occupied Gaza Strip, as made clear by the recent provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice. More than 27,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in the Israeli government’s unrelenting bombardment of Gaza, with some 10,000 believed to be still missing under the rubble. At least 1.8 million Palestinians have been internally displaced and are deprived of access to adequate food, water, shelter, sanitation, and medical assistance.
“In a further cruel move, this bill would block U.S. funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the largest provider of humanitarian aid to Palestinian refugees in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and neighboring countries. As the unlawful siege, relentless bombing, and engineered famine imposed by Israeli authorities continue to exacerbate the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, the services provided by UNRWA are more vital than ever to the survival of Palestinians in Gaza.
“It is difficult to overstate the scale of the devastation and destruction that has been wrought in Gaza over the past four months, and there is no end in sight. Members of Congress must stop sending billions of dollars in security funding and weapons to the Israeli government and must not cut funding to the largest lifeline for the people of Gaza. Congress has a responsibility to ensure that the United States is no longer providing support for ongoing international crimes.”
Amnesty International calls for an immediate ceasefire by all parties in Israel and the Gaza Strip to prevent further loss of civilian lives, to ensure access to life-saving aid for people in Gaza and to facilitate the safe release of remaining hostages. The Israeli authorities must also lift the unlawful and inhumane siege and allow the unhindered and unconditional flow of desperately needed humanitarian aid to Palestinians, who are suffering from a deliberately engineered famine.
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