Sanders: Israel’s siege of Gaza a ‘serious violation of international law’

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Wednesday criticized Israeli forces for cutting off electricity, food, fuel and water to the more than 2 million residents of Gaza, calling it a “serious violation of international law” that will cause hundreds of thousands of children to suffer.

“The targeting of civilians is a war crime, no matter who does it. Israel’s blanket denial of food, water, and other necessities to Gaza is a serious violation of international law and will do nothing but harm innocent civilians,” said Sanders, a leading progressive voice in Congress and former presidential candidate, in a statement.

Sanders praised the United States for “rightly” offering support to Israel in responding to the attacks by Hamas militants that have killed more than 1,000 people in Israel, but he insisted Israeli defense forces should not retaliate against civilians in Gaza.

“We must also insist on restraint from Israeli forces attacking Gaza and work to secure U.N. humanitarian access. Let us not forget that half of the two million people in Gaza are children. Children and innocent people do not deserve to be punished for the acts of Hamas,” he said.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Monday ordered a “complete siege” on Gaza and said such severe tactics are justified against “human animals.”

“We are fighting against human animals and we act accordingly,” he said. “There will be no electricity, no food, no water. No fuel.”

Militants from Hamas, the political group that controls Gaza and is recognized as a terrorist group by the United States, attacked Israel on Saturday. Videos of killings of civilians have widely circulated, and Hamas has taken hostages after the incursion.

Israeli defense forces have pummeled Gaza since the weekend with airstrikes on buildings and critical infrastructure.

Palestinian health authorities are warning that hospitals will run out of fuel by Thursday, and the group Doctors Without Borders says hospitals are already “overwhelmed” with a huge influx of wounded civilians. More than 1,000 people in Gaza have died.

Sanders condemned Hamas’s brutal surprise attacks on Israeli civilians who were murdered at a music festival, while driving on the roads, waiting at a bus stop or while enjoying a typical Saturday morning at home as “horrific.”

“The gunning down of young Israelis at a music festival is an image the world will not soon forget,” he said.

But he warned the weekend’s attacks “will embolden extremists on both sides” and continue “the cycle of violence.” He urged the United States and its allies to pressure Israel to minimize civilian casualties in any military invasion of Gaza.

“Right now, the international community must focus on reducing humanitarian suffering and protecting innocent people on both sides of the conflict,” he said.

He called the attack by Hamas a “major setback for any hope of peace and reconciliation in the region — and justice for the Palestinian people.”

And he said the attacks will make it only more difficult to improve the conditions of the residents of Gaza.

“For many, it is no secret that Gaza has been an open-air prison, with millions of people struggling to secure basic necessities,” he said. “Hamas terrorism will make it more difficult to address that tragic reality.”

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