US Senator Bernie Sanders said on Wednesday that ‘Israel’ is committing genocide in Gaza, calling the conclusion “inescapable” and becoming the first US senator to use the term.
“Over the last two years, Israel has not simply defended itself against Hamas,” Sanders wrote. “Instead, it has waged an all-out war against the entire Palestinian people.”
On Monday, an independent UN commission of experts concluded that Israeli actions “meet the criteria set forth in the Genocide convention”.
“It is clear there is an intent to destroy the Palestinians in Gaza through acts that meet the criteria set forth in the Genocide Convention.”
UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry’s report shows #Israel has committed #genocide in #Gaza.https://t.co/UGjepPwmwo pic.twitter.com/rTJhFeKsvA
— United Nations Geneva (@UNGeneva) September 16, 2025
“I agree,” Sanders wrote in a statement on his Senate webpage titled, “It Is Genocide. The intent is clear.”
Yes, the war in Gaza is a genocide.
I hope you’ll take a moment to read my op-ed here:https://t.co/Aouot49mp5
— Sen. Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) September 17, 2025
Sanders cited the casualty figures: at least 65,000 Palestinians killed and 164,000 wounded out of a population of 2.2 million, with figures from an Israeli military database suggesting that 83% of those killed were civilians. He also pointed to Israeli officials’ statements as proof of intent, quoting defense minister Yoav Gallant calling Palestinians “human animals” and finance minister Bezalel Smotrich vowing “Gaza will be entirely destroyed”.
While Sanders said “Israel had a right to defend itself” after the 7 October attack, he argued the response has targeted all the Palestinians in Gaza.
“We, as Americans, must end our complicity in the slaughter of the Palestinian people,” he wrote. “Having named it a genocide, we must use every ounce of our leverage to demand an immediate ceasefire, a massive surge of humanitarian aid facilitated by the UN, and initial steps to provide Palestinians with a state of their own.”
Sanders now joins a small but growing list of House members including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib and Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene, as well as Vermont representative Becca Balint, who also called it a genocide earlier in the day.
Source: Agencies (edited by Al-Manar)
