The Israeli airstrike that claimed the lives of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers has stunned and outraged Democrats in Congress, fueling a fresh effort by lawmakers to push President Joe Biden to impose conditions on U.S. military aid to Israel.
Frustration has been mounting for months among Democrats in Congress over how Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has carried out its military offensive in the Gaza Strip and the dire humanitarian conditions faced by Palestinian civilians. But Monday’s lethal strike on a World Central Kitchen team jolted many lawmakers and their aides, who say the attack could serve as a defining moment for America’s approach to the war in Gaza and U.S. relations with Israel.
“This week could be a turning point,” one congressional official said.
Democratic Sen. Peter Welch of Vermont told NBC News that the attack on the aid convoy is “an indication that there has been no modification of the Netanyahu war plan” and “it’s creating increasing concern among more and more of my colleagues.”
Even lawmakers who initially refrained from sharply criticizing Israel over its tactics in Gaza have joined calls for a cease-fire or warned Netanyahu’s government not to enter the southern city of Rafah without a plan to safeguard the lives of its civilian population.
Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware, a close Biden ally and a longtime supporter of Israel, came out for the first time Thursday in favor of placing conditions on U.S. arms shipments to Israel if civilians are not protected in Rafah.
“If Benjamin Netanyahu were to order the IDF into Rafah at scale … and make no provision for civilians or for humanitarian aid, I would vote to condition aid to Israel,” he told CNN. “I’ve never said that before, I’ve never been here before.”
According to Jeremy Ben-Ami of J Street, a liberal lobbying group that says it is “pro-Israel and pro-peace,” more and more Democrats are urging the White House to back up its critical words with concrete actions.
“I think there are a growing number of Democratic members who would like to see the administration doing more than it’s doing,” he said.
Pressure from Democrats in Congress could lead the administration to possibly delay the delivery of certain offensive weapons or military assistance, congressional aides said. Although such a move would apply to hardware due to be delivered months or years from now and would not affect Israel’s current supply of arms and ammunition, it would send an unprecedented political message to Israel.
“I think a more limited and symbolic step is a real possibility,” Ben-Ami said.
Biden administration officials also have described the strike on the aid convoy as a pivotal moment.
In a phone call with Netanyahu on Thursday, Biden strongly implied that Washington was prepared to condition military assistance to Israel over how it addresses the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and cease-fire talks, according to two U.S. officials.
After Biden’s warning, Israel announced that it would open additional aid routes to allow for increased assistance to flow into Gaza, including the Ashdod port and the Erez crossing on Israel’s border with Gaza.
On Friday, the Israeli military said that it fired two officers over the lethal strike on the World Central Kitchen convoy and that an investigation found serious errors and violations of protocol that led the Israel Defense Forces to repeatedly hit the convoy in the belief that Hamas gunmen were present.
“The strike on the aid vehicles is a grave mistake stemming from a serious failure due to a mistaken identification, errors in decision-making, and an attack contrary to the Standard Operating Procedures,” the IDF said.
Welch praised Biden’s public comments condemning the strike on the World Central Kitchen convoy, but said that it was time for concrete steps.
“The president gave a very strong statement, indicating his horror and dismay at what just happened with the bombing of the world central kitchen workers… he’s moved from quiet discussion with Prime Minister Netanyahu to public statements of disapproval,” Welch said. “The next step is explicit action.”
Democrats in Congress are now focusing on the looming deadline of May 8, when the administration will have to declare whether Israel is abiding by international humanitarian law and U.S….
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