Bernie Sanders Accuses Israel Of Ethnic Cleansing In Gaza's 'Humanitarian Disaster'

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Sunday accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of ethnic cleansing against Palestinians in Gaza ― upping his rhetoric against the U.S.-funded military offensive in the enclave that has been underway for nearly seven months.

CNN’s “State of the Union” show was Sanders’ first time using the term “ethnic cleansing” to describe the Israeli military campaign in Gaza, where soldiers have killed more than 34,000 Palestinians, wounded more than 75,000, displaced most of the population, destroyed cultural, medical and educational infrastructure, and created a famine by blocking most aid from entering the territory.

“I don’t think there’s any doubt that what Netanyahu is doing now ― displacing 80% of the population in Gaza ― is ethnic cleansing,” Sanders told CNN host Dana Bash. “That’s what it is, pushing out huge numbers of people.”

He added: “I think I, and a majority of the American people, do not want to be complicit in the humanitarian disaster that Netanyahu is causing in Gaza right now.”

The decision to use the term to describe the crisis in Gaza is an escalation of Sanders’ criticism of the U.S. government’s role in supporting the deadly military campaign, which began Oct. 7 after Hamas militants launched an attack on Israel that killed about 1,200 people and resulted in about 250 people being taken hostage. Half of the hostages were released during a temporary halt in fighting, and about 30 of those remaining are presumed dead.

Both Israel and Hamas appear to be nowhere close to a deal that would allow a permanent cease-fire, the return of hostages and the flow of humanitarian aid.

The Biden administration has continued to send billions in military aid to Israel, despite