Democratic Sen. Van Hollen says it's still not clear where the WH stands on continuing aid to Israel
Democratic Sen. Van Hollen said it still wasn't clear where President Biden stood in continuing to provide aid to Israel, after the president warned Netanyahu that U.S. policy could change if the humanitarian situation in Gaza didn't improve.
House Republicans are gearing up to rebuke President Biden’s harsher stance on Israel this week after the Democratic commander-in-chief signaled he could condition the Middle Eastern ally’s aid on how it treats civilians in Gaza.
The House will vote this week on a resolution titled, "Opposing efforts to place one-sided pressure on Israel with respect to Gaza," according to the House Minority Whip’s Office.
The GOP-led bill specifically targets President Biden’s recent conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in which the White House said Biden called for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza, citing humanitarian concerns.
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House Speaker Mike Johnson, right, is putting a bill on the House floor this week to rebuke President Biden after his call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (Getty Images)
It also criticizes the Biden administration for the U.S. failing to veto a recent United Nations Security Council resolution demanding a pause in the fighting.
The legislative text asserts that Israel "has a right to self-defense" after the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants in which more than 1,000 Israelis – mainly civilians – were brutally killed.
The resolution says the U.S. House "stands with Israel as it defends itself against the barbaric war launched by Hamas and other terrorists."
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It is not immediately clear when this week the resolution, led by Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., will get a vote. She told Fox News Digital, "I reject President Biden pressuring Israel to a one-sided ceasefire as Israel nears victory over Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The quickest way to improve conditions and provide effective humanitarian relief in the Gaza Strip is a total Israeli victory over Hamas to pave the way for a return to peace."
However, it draws a stark contrast between how Republicans and Democrats are approaching the increasingly fraught conflict.
President Biden urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to support an "immediate cease-fire." (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
Some Democrats are likely to support the measure, but the issue of Israel has continued to drive a wedge through the party. Members on the left, including Biden allies, have grown steadily more critical of Israel’s response to the invasion.
The country’s ground invasion and bombardment of Gaza has resulted in more than 30,000 Palestinian deaths, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, which does not distinguish between fighters and civilians.
Outrage from the left reached a fever pitch last week when seven humanitarian aid workers linked to World Central Kitchen were killed in an airstrike by the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) after delivering food in central Gaza.
The IDF fired two officers after investigating the incident, which Netanyahu said was "unintentional."
Rep. Maria Salazar is leading the pro-Israel resolution in the House. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Still, it was followed by Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., leading more than 30 Democrats in a letter to Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, calling on them to "reconsider" a recent arms sale to Israel "in light of this incident."
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"We also urge you to withhold these transfers if Israel fails to sufficiently mitigate harm to innocent civilians in Gaza, including aid workers, and if it fails to facilitate – or arbitrarily denies or restricts – the transport and delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza," the letter said.
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment on the resolution.
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