On Sunday, Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen tore into Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over what Van Hollen said was Netanyahu's refusal to consent to President Joe Biden's requests for more humanitarian action in Gaza amid the Hamas war.
During his appearance on ABC News' 'This Week,' Maryland lawmaker Van Hollen, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, added that Biden "needs to back up his 'no excuses' language with real action."
Van Hollen Calls Out Biden Administration Amid Gaza War
Van Hollen criticized the US government's ongoing unrestricted arms sales to the Israeli government. However, he did not vote against a supplemental aid package that included military assistance for Israel and Ukraine in February.
"Netanyahu continues to essentially give the finger to the president of the United States, and we're sending more bombs," Van Hollen said on Sunday.
He claimed Israel's "right" and "duty" to defend itself after the October 7 attack did not "extend to restricting, unnecessarily, assistance in Gaza." The senator added that they could halt the horror of this humanitarian catastrophe.
In February, the senator voted in favor of a $95 billion supplementary aid package for Israel and Ukraine, along with other members of the Democratic caucus in the US Senate, except Bernie Sanders.
However, he argued that the prime minister had mostly ignored his requests up to that point and urged the president to hold Netanyahu's administration more accountable for its actions.
The Biden administration's partial reversal of sanctions against far-right settlers in Israel who are allegedly responsible for violent attacks on Palestinians and illegal land seizures precedes his most recent criticism.
In a letter, the US Treasury Department clarified that Israeli banks are not obligated to freeze the accounts of sanctioned individuals to conduct business with the US.
Furthermore, the sanctions enraged Netanyahu's far-right coalition members, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. Smotrich, who has been charged with using racist rhetoric and denied that there is a Palestinian people, vowed to retaliate against the US restrictions by targeting the economies of Gaza and the West Bank.
Over 31,000 Palestinians, including thousands of children, have lost their lives as a result of the Israeli military attack in Gaza. International relief organizations warn the public of the humanitarian crisis happening throughout the region, which may lead to the outbreak of a widespread famine.
Van Hollen said that one-third of the humanitarian assistance shipments into northern Gaza had been blocked last month. He suggested they open Erez Crossing in the north and get help as children starve.
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UN Warns Growing Famine in Gaza
The head of the United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) has warned famine is threatening Gaza as relief organizations struggle to deliver food to the northern part of the enclave.
On Sunday, Philippe Lazzarini stated that more than a month has passed since humanitarian aid began reaching northern Gaza residents. Lazzarini wrote on social media that the last time UNRWA was able to deliver food aid to northern Gaza was on January 23.
According to aid organizations, deliveries from Israel have been delayed. Tel Aviv denies allegations as it prepares to submit a report to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) detailing its steps to prevent suffering in the besieged enclave.
