WASHINGTON
Senator Bernie Sanders on Friday reiterated his call to the US to end weapons supply to Israel.
Hailing the recent Gaza ceasefire deal between Israel and Palestinian group Hamas, Sander said he hoped that the destruction will soon end and that the hostages will finally be returned to their families.
"As this horrific war hopefully comes to an end, the suffering of the Palestinian people remains. This ceasefire is just the first step," he said.
Massive amounts of humanitarian aid must reach starving and malnourished people in Gaza, he said, urging the international community to make the ceasefire permanent.
"Finally, as Americans, we must grapple with our role in this dark chapter.
"The United States allowed this mass atrocity to continue by providing an endless supply of weapons to (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu and failing to exert meaningful leverage," he stressed.
The military support took place in clear violation of US and international law, he reiterated.
"This must not happen again. Future political leaders should learn from this terrible lesson and restore respect for our own laws and moral principles," Sanders added.
Qatar announced the three-phase agreement on Wednesday to end over 15 months of Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, which have killed nearly 47,000 people and left the enclave in ruins.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.