Northern Gaza is a “graveyard.” Vote YES on Joint Resolutions of Disapproval!

I am writing to urge you to join Senators Bernie Sanders, Jeff Merkley, and Peter Welch in voting for the Joint Resolutions of Disapproval (S. J. Res. 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, & 116) to block the sale of $20 billion in U.S. weaponry to Israel. This sale would directly enable Israel’s continued assaults on Palestinian civilians and strengthen a military campaign that has already wrought unimaginable devastation upon the people of Gaza. The Israeli military has now admitted that Palestinians from northern Gaza will be permanently barred from returning to their homes, revealing a calculated and deliberate strategy to ethnically cleanse the region. This approach has led to the complete decimation of northern Gaza. A recent video posted by UNRWA spokesperson Louise Wateridge offers a heartbreaking visual of what this “strategy” looks like on the ground: neighborhoods that were once filled with homes, schools, hospitals, and community centers are now reduced to flattened rubble. Wateridge’s message is hauntingly clear: “An entire society now a graveyard.” These images, coupled with Israel’s own declarations, amount to a clear admission of ethnic cleansing. Despite this devastation, Israel has severed ties with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), leaving Gaza’s population with no formal protection or humanitarian oversight. As UNRWA’s operations teeter on the brink of collapse, the U.N. recently warned Israel that the humanitarian burden UNRWA once managed will now fall upon them. Israel’s disregard for the basic needs and dignity of Gazans only highlights the danger of further enabling their military aggression. Meanwhile, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza grows more desperate each day. The World Health Organization has recently resumed large-scale evacuations, but only a fraction of the thousands in urgent need have been able to leave due to Israel’s prolonged blockade of the Rafah crossing. To date, Israel’s attacks have killed at least 27 Palestinians just today, including three children in Rafah. These are lives lost to U.S.-funded weapons. It is inconceivable that the United States would facilitate further weapons sales while Israel not only commits documented war crimes but now openly acknowledges a plan of forced displacement and demographic engineering. By voting for the Joint Resolutions of Disapproval, you can signal to the international community that the U.S. will not stand by as Israel turns Gaza into a graveyard. Please use your voice to end the arming of Israel’s unconscionable war on Palestinian civilians. I am committed to supporting only those officials who are willing to take action to end this complicity in mass human rights abuses. Please align with Senators Sanders, Merkley, and Welch, and vote to end the arms sales fueling these atrocities. Your stance on this vote will define where you stand on the side of history.