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[–]chakokat[S] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

US Democratic lawmakers are warning President Joe Biden that providing weapons to Israel is illegal under existing US law because Israel is withholding US humanitarian aid from Gaza as famine looms.

Haaretz reported on 24 March that the group of prominent lawmakers sent a letter to President Biden stating that "so long as Israel continues to restrict the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, the continued provision of U.S. security assistance to Israel would constitute a violation of existing U.S. law and must be restricted."

The letter added, "Given the catastrophic and devolving humanitarian situation in Gaza, we urge you to enforce the Humanitarian Aid Corridor Act."

The 1994 law states that the US may provide no military aid to any country "when it is made known to the President that the government of such country prohibits or otherwise restricts, directly or indirectly, the transport or delivery of United States humanitarian assistance." However, the president is empowered under the law to issue a waiver to allow weapons shipments to continue.

The letter stated further that Israel's restriction on the delivery of humanitarian aid has made Israel “ineligible to receive continued U.S. weapons under Section 620I.”