US lawmaker urges Blinken to resign for not changing policy on arms supply to Israel

A US Congresswoman urged Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, to resign for not changing the policy on arms supply to Israel, Anadolu Agency reports.

“Secretary Blinken exposed his lie by announcing that there will be no change to any policy, despite admitting that the Israeli government has still failed to comply with all of their demands.

“Secretary Blinken has continued to lie to Congress and should resign,” Rashida Tlaib said on the floor of the House of Representatives.

Her remarks came after the State Department said, Tuesday, that the US would not change its policy on arms transfers to Israel even though the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip remains dire.

A deadline was set by Washington in a 13 October letter for Israel to ramp up access to aid within 30 days in the besieged Palestinian enclave or risk US military aid.

Tlaib said the Biden administration continues to ignore reports that Israel is blocking humanitarian aid into Gaza in violation of US and international law.

“The Israeli government is using starvation as a weapon of war,” she said, showing a picture of a starving child.

“US law is very clear: No nation blocking US humanitarian assistance can receive US weapons. The Biden administration cannot pick and choose when they comply with our own laws.”

“Children are forced to eat pet food and bug-infested flour, look at this and do not turn your back on again, being complicit to this war crime, but Blinken says there’s no need to change our own policy. Shameful!” she added.

Eight humanitarian aid organisations said in a statement that Israel has failed to meet the criteria set out by the US to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Israel has continued its devastating offensive against Gaza since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian Resistance group, Hamas, on 7 October, 2023. The onslaught has killed more than 43,700 people and rendered the enclave almost uninhabitable.

Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its deadly war on Gaza.

READ: FACTBOX – Did Israel meet US Gaza aid requirements? Israel, UN respond