U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks to attendees at an election rally at South Burlington High School, on Saturday, Oct. 19. Photo by Evan L’Roy/VTDiggerU.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., on Wednesday unsuccessfully sought to block the U.S. from sending certain arms to Israel, arguing that the country was violating international human rights laws in its offensive in Gaza, now in its second year.Sanders forced votes in the U.S. Senate on three joint resolutions of disapproval, which would have prevented the transfer to Israel of certain tank and mortar rounds, as well as guidance kits used to enhance the precision of bombs.The measures, which were cosponsored by Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., all failed on lopsided votes, with Republicans united against them and Democrats divided. Between 17 and 19 senators supported each of the resolutions, while between 78 and 80 senators opposed them. The effort was seen as largely symbolic, given that the resolutions would have also had to clear the Republican House and pass muster with President Joe Biden, a staunch ally of Israel. It came as former President Donald Trump, an ally of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was preparing to return to the White House. Ahead of the votes, Sanders gave a blistering speech on the Senate floor Wednesday afternoon. He called the resolutions “cut-and-dry,” given that U.S. law prohibits providing weapons to nations that violate human rights or block humanitarian aid — as he said Israel had. Sanders described the human toll in Gaza since the latest conflict began in October 2023, when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israeli border communities: 43,000 Palestinians killed and 103,000 injured — 60% of whom were women, children or elderly people, Sanders said.“Prime Minister Netanyahu’s extremist government has not simply waged war against Hamas. It has waged all-out war against the Palestinian people,” Sanders said during his remarks on the floor.READ MORE Vermont Conversation: What are the roots of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? by David Goodman November 1, 2023, 4:31 pmNovember 1, 2023, 5:34 pm Sanders asserted that the U.S. was in violation of its own laws by continuing to supply offensive weapons under such circumstances. In the last year alone, the U.S. has provided $18 billion in military aid to Israel and delivered more than 50,000 tons of military equipment, he said.“Clearly what is happening in Gaza today is unspeakable, but what makes it even more painful is that much of this has been done with U.S. weapons and American taxpayer dollars,” Sanders said. In his own speech on the Senate floor Wednesday, Welch said, “The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza is unparalleled and is being inflicted on innocent Palestinians.”Citing remarks by the recently fired Israeli defense minister, Yoav Gallant, that there was little military rationale for continuing its campaign, Welch said, “If there is no further reason for offensive military action in Gaza, why is there a need for the United States to be providing more offensive weapons for the Netanyahu government to be used in Gaza? That’s the question we face.”Earlier Wednesday, the U.S. vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution demanding an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza. Had the resolution been adopted, it would have also demanded immediate access to basic services by civilians in Gaza. One of the organizations offering these services has been the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, also known by its acronym UNRWA. But recently, Israeli lawmakers approved laws barring UNRWA from Israel, limiting it to Gaza and the West Bank.“Israel’s recent decision to ban UNRWA, the backbone of the humanitarian response in Gaza, will only make a horrific situation even worse,” Sanders told his colleagues on Wednesday.Read the story on VTDigger here: Bernie Sanders’ attempts to block arms sales to Israel fail in U.S. Senate.