Biden Administration’s Request for Additional Aid to Israel Sparks Debate Over Conditions of Any Additional Aid

The Biden administration has requested an additional $14.3 billion in aid to Israel, bringing the total amount of aid to the country to $3.8 billion a year. Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have both called for any additional aid to be conditional on a change in Israel’s military and political positions.

In response to the request, 31 premature babies in “extremely critical condition” were transferred from Gaza’s main hospital to Egypt on Sunday. The newborns had dehydration, hypothermia and sepsis in some cases, and four other babies died in the two days before the evacuation. Over 250 patients with severely infected wounds and other urgent conditions remain stranded.

The evacuation was in response to Israeli forces entering the compound to look for Hamas operations there. Israeli forces have been battling Palestinian militants outside the hospital, and power was cut and supplies ran out.

In a statement posted to X, Sanders said, “The Netanyahu government, or hopefully a new Israeli government, must understand that not a penny more will be coming from the U.S. unless there is a fundamental change in their military and political positions.”

The Biden administration’s request for additional aid to Israel has sparked debate over the conditions of any additional aid. Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have both called for any additional aid to be conditional on a change in Israel’s military and political positions. Meanwhile, 31 premature babies in “extremely critical condition” were evacuated from Gaza’s main hospital to Egypt on Sunday.