By Diyar Guldogan
WASHINGTON (AA) - Israel's "indiscriminate" killing of innocent victims in the Gaza Strip is unacceptable, US Sen. Bernie Sanders said Saturday.
He said it is "one of the more horrific moments in modern history" but wrote on X that “Israel has a right to defend itself. I don't think anyone disagrees with that.
"But what they are doing now in an indiscriminate way, bombing refugee camps, bombing ambulances, killing thousands of innocent men, women and children in violation of international law is simply not acceptable. It has got to stop."
He said the US provides $3.8 billion every year to Israel.
"Now, they can say they don't want the money, fine. But if they're going to take our money and (US President Joe) Biden wants to give them even more, they have got to recognize that they cannot offend American values, what we stand for, what civilized world stands for."
Sanders expressed pleasure with the increasing demands for a pause in the bombing and said: "These people have no water, they have no food, they have no fuel. Their hospitals have been bombed. It is a total disaster."
Pointing out that hundreds of thousands of residents have been displaced in Gaza, Sanders noted that many live in overcrowded conditions in the UN facilities.
"So we are looking at a humanitarian disaster. The United States puts a lot of money into Israel. And our job is to say, yes, you have a right to defend yourself, but Palestinian children are as important as Israeli children, as important as American children.
"Stop the indiscriminate slaughter of innocent people," he added.
The Israeli army expanded its air and ground attacks earlier this week on the Gaza Strip, which has been under relentless airstrikes since a surprise offensive by Hamas on Oct. 7.
“The death toll as a result of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip since October 7 is 9,500, including 3,900 children and 2,509 women,” Salama Marouf, the head of the Gaza Media Office, said at a news conference.
More than 1,538 Israelis have been killed.