The former House speaker is among the lawmakers pressing the White House in a letter citing the Gaza humanitarian crisis.
More than 30 Democratic members of the US House of Representatives have written to President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken calling for a complete halt to arms transfers to Israel.
“In light of the recent strike against aid workers and the ever-worsening humanitarian crisis, we believe it is unjustified to approve this weapons transfer,” read a letter signed Friday by lawmakers, including former Speaker and Biden ally Nancy Pelosi.
Pressure is mounting on the White House and Western governments to stop arming Israel, with no exception to the Israeli military's bombardment of the Gaza Strip. The death toll since October has surpassed 33,000. There appear to be dim prospects for a ceasefire and despite Israel's promise to reopen a crossing into northern Gaza, there has been no progress in getting more humanitarian aid into the famine-stricken area.
Israel said this week it would reopen the Beit Hanoon (Erez) crossing with northern Gaza for aid, hours after Biden warned to take action to protect civilians and humanitarian workers following an Israeli military attack on US-based food charity World Central. Kitchen (WCK).
“We appreciate your administration's recent efforts to increase the delivery of much-needed humanitarian assistance to Gaza, but these efforts may not be sufficient to meet the extraordinary need on the ground,” the letter said.
Seven people were killed in Israeli airstrikes @WCKitchen The support staff, including an American citizen, were absolutely terrifying and unacceptable.
Today, I called on the Biden administration to halt the transfer of offensive weapons to Israel @RepMcGovern, @Janchakowski and 37 colleagues. pic.twitter.com/7wKExWP6hT– Representative. Mark Pocan (@RepMarkPocan) April 5, 2024
Lawmakers called on the Biden administration to conduct its own investigation into an Israeli strike that killed seven WCK members in central Gaza.
On Friday, the Israeli army fired two officers and formally reprimanded senior commanders after an investigation into the deaths of aid workers found serious errors and procedural violations.
“More than 200 aid workers have been killed since the war began. These attacks and deaths are having a chilling effect with the World Food Center and other humanitarian groups now suspending their operations in Gaza,” the letter stated.
Hassan Barari, a professor at Qatar University's Department of International Affairs, said the letter represented “a shift in the American scene” and that “the entire Democratic Party is moving to take this position, so it's become an important position.”
The United Nations Human Rights Council on Friday passed a resolution calling for Israel to be held accountable for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Gaza and to end all arms sales to the country.
While countries such as Canada, the Netherlands, Japan, Spain and Belgium have suspended arms sales to Israel, many Western countries continue to supply deadly weapons despite growing criticism of rising civilian casualties.
The United States has supplied most of Israel's defense needs, including 2,000-pound cluster bombs. This year, the US Congress approved an additional $14bn military aid package to Israel.
Barari told Al Jazeera, “Given what Israel is doing, I think it's a real pressure, but at the same time, we have to remember that the international community has been complicit in all these Israeli massacres and genocides.”
In the United Kingdom, some members of parliament from the opposition and ruling Conservative Party, as well as hundreds of lawyers and judges, have called on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to halt arms sales to Israel.
