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Lawmaker Bernie Sanders declared on that day that Israel is committing systematic destruction in Gaza, calling the conclusion as “unavoidable” and establishing himself as the first US senator to use the designation.

Shift in Stance

“Over the last two years, the nation has not only defended itself against Hamas,” Sanders expressed. “Instead, it has waged an comprehensive offensive against the whole Palestinian people.”

The independent senator had earlier received backlash from advocates and protesters for steering clear of the term, which he once said made him “queasy” when shouted during a speech in the Irish nation.

UN Findings and Response

On Monday, an independent UN panel of specialists concluded that Israel’s actions “meet the criteria set forth in the international treaty on genocide”.

“I concur,” Sanders stated in a statement. “The purpose is clear.”

He cited casualty figures: no fewer than 65,000 Palestinians killed and 164,000 injured out of a community of 2.2 million, with data from an defense force database suggesting that 83% of those deceased were civilians.

He also pointed to comments by Israeli officials as evidence of intent, quoting defense minister Yoav Gallant referring to Palestinians “human animals” and treasury head Bezalel Smotrich vowing “Gaza will be entirely destroyed”.

Self-Defense vs Appropriateness

While Sanders said Israel had a entitlement to defend itself after the October 7 attack that took the lives of about 1,200 people, he argued the response has affected every Palestinians in Gaza.

“We, as Americans, must end our complicity in the killing of the Palestinian people,” he wrote. “Having named it as a genocide, we must use every ounce of our influence to demand an halt to hostilities, a significant increase of relief supplies facilitated by the UN, and initial steps to provide Palestinians with a state of their own.”

Expanding Group of Supporters

He now aligns with a limited yet increasing number of House members including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, and Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene, as well as Vermont representative Becca Balint, who also called it a crime against humanity that same day.

“Today, I believe the Israeli government is committing a genocide against the Palestinian people,” Balint wrote. “As the granddaughter of a man killed in the Holocaust, it is not easy for me to say that.”

Earlier Reports and Allegations

Recently, Democratic senators Chris Van Hollen and Jeff Merkley unveiled a study following their visit to the region, where they say they’ve come to the “inevitable determination” that population removal is being committed in Gaza and that the United States is complicit.

Global Background

The statement also comes as multiple countries including Australia, France, Luxembourg, Malta, Canada and the UK intend to recognize Palestinian statehood at next week’s UN general assembly in New York.

However, the Trump administration has supported Israeli actions since coming into office. In March, the White House said Trump “completely endorses” Israel’s operations in Gaza, while Trump has suggested the US take control over the territory to help enable Palestinian departures.

In the US, the administration has at the same time increased efforts to silence opposition from pro-Palestine voices, with the state department issuing wide directives to diplomatic offices in March to vet student visas over “extremism”, which encompass social media posts.

Past Attempts and Calls

Sanders has previously led Senate efforts to block offensive weapons sales to Israel through joint resolutions of disapproval, and while securing half of Democratic party members in the Senate to support it, the efforts have not been successful in stopping arms transfers.

Now, the senator called again for ending US military aid to “Benjamin Netanyahu’s genocidal government” and demanded an urgent cessation of violence.

“The word genocide is a reminder of what can happen if we fail,” Sanders emphasized. “It emerged from the Holocaust – the murder of 6 million Jews – one of the most tragic chapters in human history. Make no mistake. If there is no responsibility for Netanyahu and his associated war criminals, other extremists will do the same.”