Bernie Sanders Accuses Israel of Genocide in Gaza

On September 17, 2025, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders from Vermont became the first U.S. senator to publicly accuse Israel of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip. In a statement, Sanders described Israel’s actions over the past two years as not just a war against Hamas, but an attack on the entire Palestinian population. He cited United Nations reports indicating 65,000 deaths and 164,000 injuries in Gaza, highlighting the high proportion of civilian casualties.

Sanders emphasized that the U.S. can no longer ignore Israel’s actions and called for an immediate halt to U.S. military aid, a ceasefire, expanded humanitarian assistance, and steps toward the establishment of a Palestinian state. He also condemned the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a “genocidal regime.”

His stance aligns him with a small group of legislators, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib, who have called the situation genocide. However, Sanders’ position contrasts sharply with the Trump administration’s continued support for Israeli military operations and suppression of domestic pro-Palestinian voices.

Sanders’ statement drew widespread international attention. A UN investigative committee also reported that Israel’s actions in Gaza meet the characteristics of genocide. Nevertheless, Western powers such as the U.S., U.K., and France have not formally recognized this claim, emphasizing the need to await the International Court of Justice’s final ruling.