The key facts
- Delia Ramirez (Democrat, Illinois) urged passage of her bill H.R. 3565 blocking transfers of bombs and munitions to Israel.
- The bill, introduced with Sara Jacobs, Pramila Jayapal and Mark Pocan, covers BLU-109, MK80, GBU-39, JDAM, SPICE, tank and artillery munitions, including white phosphorus.
- According to Anadolu, citing the Gaza Health Ministry, ceasefire violations have killed 1,534 Palestinians and wounded 5,486; more than 74,000 people have died since October 2023.
Congresswoman's statement
U.S. House member Delia Ramirez, a Democrat from Illinois, said on Wednesday that, in her words, Israel's 'genocide' against Palestinians is 'not over.' In a post on the X platform, she wrote: 'Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians, paid for by American taxpayers.' According to her, Israeli airstrikes continue to kill children and families in Gaza, and half a million Palestinians may lose access to food and aid. 'Whether it's bombs or starvation, the genocide is not over. We must end it. We can start by passing my Block the Bombs Act,' the Anadolu agency quoted her statement as saying.
Contents of the bill
Ramirez introduced bill H.R. 3565 last year together with Democrats Sara Jacobs, Pramila Jayapal and Mark Pocan. The document provides for blocking transfers to Israel of BLU-109 bunker-buster bombs, MK80-series bombs, variants of the small GBU-39 bombs, Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) guided bombs, SPICE glide bomb assemblies, as well as 120mm tank and 155mm artillery munitions, including white phosphorus shells.
Casualty figures cited
According to figures cited by Anadolu, Israel's war in Gaza has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians since October 2023, more than 175,000 have been wounded, and destruction has affected about 90% of civilian infrastructure. According to the latest figures from the Gaza Health Ministry referenced by the agency, violations of the ceasefire regime have led to the deaths of 1,534 Palestinians and the wounding of 5,486 people. These figures are given with reference to the relevant sources and were not independently verified in the publication itself.
