No more money for Netanyahu's war machine in Gaza, says US senator Bernie Sanders

Senator Bernie Sanders has said the US government should stop funding  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's military campaign in the Gaza Strip, which has killed over 41,111 people since it began last October.

The progressive lawmaker, who is of Jewish descent, highlighted in his call on Washington the latest killings in the so-called safe zones in Gaza, as well as the shooting of a US activist in the West Bank by Israeli forces.

"This week: 19 people killed & scores injured in a strike in a 'humanitarian zone' in Gaza. An American shot in the head in the West Bank. Now, another school bombed, killing 14 people, including 6 UN aid workers," Sanders said on X, referring to the latest attack by Israeli forces on a UN-run school in central Gaza which was housing displaced Palestinians.

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said six staffers were among the 19 people killed in the attack on Wednesday.

"Enough is enough. No more money for Netanyahu's war machine," he added.

Last week, Israeli forces shot American-Turkish activist Aysenur Eygi, killing her immediately as she was taking part in a protest against a home demolition in the occupied West Bank.

US President Joe Bident voiced his "outrage" on Wednesday over the killing, saying he was "deeply saddened" by it but did not directly blame Israel for the activist's death.

In a statement on the incident, Biden said the shooting was "totally unacceptable" and called for "full accountability" for her death after Israel "acknowledged its responsibility". 

Israel has been accused by leading human rights experts of committing genocide in Gaza, where its military actions have caused widespread destruction through the indiscriminate bombing of residential areas, schools, and hospitals - actions which experts claim amount to war crimes.

According to the Palestinian health ministry, over 95,000 have been wounded in the war since October, while the World Health Organization said that at least a quarter of those had suffered "life-changing injuries", many requiring amputations and other "huge" rehabilitation needs.

"The huge surge in rehabilitation needs occurs in parallel with the ongoing decimation of the health system," Rik Peeperkorn, the WHO's representative for the Palestinian territories, said in a statement.

Leading rights groups have also found extensive use of force by Israeli soldiers against unarmed civilians in the West Bank, where some 703 people have been killed, including at least 159 children, by Israeli fire since 7 October.