'Hamas is very happy': Democrats slammed for urging Joe Biden to reconsider arms transfers to Israel after aid worker deaths

WASHINGTON, DC: In the wake of the tragic killing of seven aid workers in Gaza, a group of House Democrats, led by former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, has penned a letter urging President Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken to reassess the recent authorization of weapons transfers to Israel.

The letter, signed by over 30 Democratic lawmakers, highlights growing frustration over Israel's military actions in the region and calls for a pause in arms transfers pending a thorough investigation into the airstrike.

Demand for accountability

The incident, which occurred on Monday, shook Capitol Hill and sparked renewed scrutiny of America's relationship with Israel. The aid workers, affiliated with the World Central Kitchen, were targeted in what Israeli authorities later acknowledged as a mistaken attack, attributing it to an error in identifying the victims as armed Hamas fighters.

“In light of this incident, we strongly urge you to reconsider your recent decision to authorize the transfer of a new arms package to Israel, and to withhold this and any future offensive arms transfers until a full investigation into the airstrike is completed,” the letter stated, per NBC News. 

“We also urge you to withhold these transfers if Israel fails to sufficiently mitigate harm to innocent civilians in Gaza, including aid workers, and if it fails to facilitate – or arbitrarily denies or restricts – the transport and delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza,” the lawmakers wrote. 

The lawmakers underscored the gravity of the situation, labeling the mistaken attack as 'shockingly unacceptable' and calling for concrete actions to mitigate civilian casualties and facilitate humanitarian aid delivery in Gaza.

Potential impact on military assistance

The pressure from within Congress could potentially impact the Biden administration's approach to military assistance to Israel. While current arms supplies would remain unaffected, delaying future transfers would send a clear political message regarding America's stance on the conflict.

Biden administration officials have indicated a willingness to leverage military aid as a means to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and push for progress in ceasefire negotiations. In a recent phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Biden hinted at the possibility of conditioning military assistance on Israel's response to the crisis.

Following Biden's warning, Israel announced plans to open additional aid routes into Gaza, a move welcomed by Secretary Blinken as a positive development. However, the administration remains vigilant, awaiting further actions from Israel to address the ongoing crisis.

"While we appreciate your administration’s recent efforts to increase the delivery of desperately needed humanitarian aid to Gaza, these efforts will not be sufficient to meet the extraordinary need on the ground," the letter emphasized.

Speaker Pelosi's spokesperson, Aaron Bennett, reiterated her support for an independent investigation into the aid workers' deaths.

“Speaker Pelosi is sympathetic to some of the thoughts in the letter, and she feels very strongly that there must be a comprehensive, independent investigation into the horrific killing of the World Central Kitchen heroes,” Bennett said in a statement. “Speaker Pelosi knows President Biden’s support for Israel and empathy with the innocent civilians in Gaza, and she respects his judgment in how to proceed.”

Social media backlash

The letter, however, sparked quite a backlash on social media, with some voicing disappointment over the perceived lack of accountability for Hamas' actions.

"Hamas is very happy. Are the Democrats working with them?" one posted on X.

"This is how you embolden a terrorist group to keep terrorizing. Great job lefties," another charged.

"Have the hostages been released, have the murderers been turned over to Israel, has Hamas been destroyed?" someone else wondered.

"As a lifetime Democrat I am very disappointed in this. Where is the outrage to bring the hostages home? Israel made a mistake and acknowledged it. It was unintentional. Hamas acted intentionally on Oct 7 - raping and murdering. Stop blaming Israel & buying into all the propaganda'Hamas is very happy': Dems slammed for urging Biden to reassess Israel arms deal after aid worker deaths

 

 ," another chimed in.

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