Rep. Rashida Tlaib and 20 Cosponsors Introduce Resolution to Punish Israel’s Genocide | Palestine Policy Roundup 11.17.25
Welcome to the Palestine Policy Roundup, a weekly publication of the IMEU Policy Project.
👀 ICYMI: MEMBERS OF CONGRESS SPEAK OUT
Rep. Rashida Tlaib: “The Israeli government’s genocide in Gaza has not ended, and it will not end until we act…To end this horror, we must reject genocide denial and follow our binding legal obligations under the Genocide Convention to take immediate action to pursue justice and accountability to prevent and punish the crime of genocide.”
Rep. Delia Ramirez in response to Israel reportedly seeking a 20-year weapons deal with the US: “Enough is enough. We cannot continue to provide weapons to Israel. Congress must pass my Block the Bombs Act to take the first steps toward oversight and accountability. Congress must listen to Americans and end our government's complicity in Netanyahu’s genocidal campaign.”
DC DEVELOPMENTS
⚡ REP. RASHIDA TLAIB, 20 ORIGINAL COSPONSORS INTRODUCE RESOLUTION TO RECOGNIZE ISRAEL’S GENOCIDE OF PALESTINIANS IN GAZA
Last Friday, Rep. Rashida Tlaib and 20 original cosponsors introduced H.Res.876, a resolution to recognize Israel’s genocide of Palestinians in Gaza and to uphold US obligations to prevent and punish genocide. IMEU Policy Project is proud to endorse the resolution and calls on all Representatives to cosponsor it.
After two years of Israel’s genocidal violence in Gaza, nearly 70,000 Palestinians have been killed, more than 80% of all infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, and nearly all Palestinians were displaced and often forced to move to crowded displacement camps where diseases rage.
In September, an independent UN Commission found that Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, joining a virtual consensus that uplifts the voices of Palestinians by correctly identifying Israel’s assault on Gaza as a genocide.
As a party to the Genocide Convention and under US law, the US has an obligation to prevent and punish genocide. The resolution upholds both US and international law by calling for the US to fulfill its legal obligations, particularly by ending weapons deliveries to Israel, prosecuting those responsible for genocide, and imposing lawful, targeted sanctions on Israel.
These measures not only uphold US legal obligations, but they are also popular with many voters. 60% of all voters oppose sending additional weapons to Israel, including 75% of Democratic voters. That same poll also found that 77% of Democratic voters think Israel is committing a genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Another poll, published by IMEU Policy Project, found that 65% of Democratic voters support imposing sanctions on Israel.
This resolution comes at a critical moment: as the Trump administration attempts to advance its plan for Gaza, which denies Palestinian self-determination and perpetuates Israel’s occupation, Congress must send a clear message against whitewashing Israel’s genocidal violence and supporting accountability for genocidal crimes.
Evidence of US-provided weapons have been extensively documented in the aftermath of possible war crimes committed by the Israeli military in Gaza, making the US deeply complicit in Israel’s genocidal violence. Now is the time to begin rectifying that complicity, starting with the accountability measures outlined in the resolution.
💡 POLICY ASK: IMEU Policy Project strongly encourages Representatives to cosponsor the resolution.
📖 LEARN MORE: Check out IMEU Policy Project’s policy memo on Israel’s genocide of Palestinians in Gaza, US obligations under the Genocide Convention, and the need for this resolution.
[AN COPY ONLY] 📣 TAKE ACTION: Write to your Representative and urge them to sign on to the resolution, or thank them for signing on!
💥 ISRAEL SEEKS 20-YEAR WEAPONS DEAL AS WEAPONS ARE USED TO COMMIT HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES OF PALESTINIANS IN VIOLATION OF US LAW
Israel is seeking a renewal of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the US to provide additional taxpayer-funded weapons. The request reportedly seeks to double the duration of the next MoU to 20 years. The current MoU provides nearly $4 billion each year in weapons to Israel funded by US taxpayers. A new MoU would also come on the heels of the US delivering more than $30 billion in taxpayer-funded weapons for use in Israel’s genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.
This deal would likely include at least $76 billion in weapons deliveries that would presumably be financed by taxpayers. A poll published by IMEU Policy Project found that 75% of Democratic voters support ending this agreement.
As this report comes out, Israel is still restricting the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza in violation not only of the ceasefire agreement but also its obligations under international law as noted in a recent International Court of Justice advisory opinion. Israel’s obstruction of aid also violates US law–specifically Section 620I of the Foreign Assistance Act, which compels the immediate halt of weapons transfers to countries that obstruct humanitarian aid.
Israel’s well-documented violations of international law and possible war crimes committed in Gaza also violate US weapons law–specifically the Arms Export Control Act (AECA). In the latest documentation of Israeli crimes in Gaza, Israeli soldiers described the free-for-all nature of Israel’s violence in Gaza and alleged that they were allowed to shoot and kill Palestinians without constraint–including Palestinians who were seeking food at sites operated by the US-funded Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
Another Israeli soldier alleged that his commander ordered a tank to destroy a building in an Israeli-designated so-called humanitarian zone because a Palestinian man was hanging his laundry on the roof. The soldier also said that the notion of collective punishment of Palestinians–which was espoused by several Israeli government officials–permeated the ranks of the military.
Despite these and many other violations of international law documented by Palestinians and international organizations, an analysis published by Drop Site News found that the office of the Israeli military’s top lawyer has only produced three indictments related to crimes committed by the Israeli military in Gaza. Additionally, a recently leaked report by the State Department Office of the Inspector General revealed hundreds of potential human rights abuses committed by Israeli military units in Gaza.
These abuses are unlikely to be punished under the Israeli legal system, and the sheer volume of violations of human rights points to a systemic disregard for international law. Under the AECA, weapons transfers to Israel should be halted immediately in response to these violations.
Members of Congress must send a strong message in support of complying with both international and US law by opposing further weapons transfer agreements with Israel. Representatives can start sending that message now by cosponsoring the Block the Bombs Act.
⚠️ NEW REPORT REVEALS BIDEN ADMIN KNEW OF ISRAELI USE OF PALESTINIANS AS HUMAN SHIELDS
US intelligence reportedly alerted the Biden administration of the Israeli military’s use of Palestinians as human shields, which is a violation of both international law and US law, during the last months of 2024, according to Reuters. Specifically, Palestinians were reportedly sent into tunnels that Israeli soldiers believed were lined with explosives–deliberately putting them in harm’s way. Despite this intel, the Biden administration continued to supply Israel with weapons for its genocidal campaign in Gaza.
This report follows several accounts by Palestinians who documented being used as human shields in Gaza. Israeli soldiers also have recounted the use of this practice by their units in media reports.
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on the use of Palestinians as human shields in August 2024, and an Israeli soldier accused senior ranks of being aware of the practice. An Israeli soldier told CNN in October 2024 that his unit kept two Palestinians detained for the explicit purpose of using them as human shields. The soldier also said that his unit was encouraged to engage in this practice by commanders.
In a May 2025 report by the Associated Press, an Israeli officer alleged that orders to use Palestinians as human shields were coming from the top, and Palestinians alleged that the Israeli military was systematically forcing Palestinians into this role in Gaza.
Once again, this reporting demonstrates a blatant disregard for international law by the Biden administration in favor of supplying more weapons to Israel. This disregard has been continued by the Trump administration, which reportedly received the same intelligence that the Biden administration had. Congress must exercise its oversight authority and bring the US into compliance with its own laws, including the Arms Export Control Act, in light of this information.
IN THE NEWS
🚨 ONE MONTH INTO CEASEFIRE, PLANS FOR INDEFINITE ISRAELI MILITARY OCCUPATION WITHIN GAZA SOLIDIFYING
IMEU Policy Project has published a new policy memo that assesses the implementation of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement and the growing concern of an indefinite partition of Gaza under the Trump plan. The memo also highlights how the next phase of the Trump plan would deny the self-determination of Palestinians by reconstructing Gaza for the benefit of foreign investors–including President Trump’s son-in-law and key architect of the plan, Jared Kushner–and by marginalizing Palestinians from governance.
New reporting published by The Guardian reveals that the US is planning for the long-term partition of Gaza along the Israeli redeployment line and restricting reconstruction to areas under Israeli military occupation. Areas considered to be under the control of Hamas–where nearly all Palestinians are currently displaced–would be excluded from reconstruction. More than 50% of Gaza, including parts of Gaza City and Khan Younis and nearly all of Rafah, are behind the Israeli redeployment line.
Additionally, the US-backed plan calls for the multinational force to integrate with the Israeli military and operate in areas under Israeli control, adding to concerns that it would be complicit in any further genocidal violence committed by Israel.
It’s not clear whether Palestinians would be able to return to their homes on the other side of the Israeli redeployment line nor how they would be able to do so. By blocking reconstruction and possibly withholding aid from the majority of Palestinians, Israel and the US may be preparing to force Palestinians to leave Gaza and falsely cast that decision as a free choice–which is a key part of President Trump’s plan to control Gaza.
As this plan promises reconstruction only in Israeli-controlled areas, Israel is simultaneously destroying Palestinian infrastructure there. According to an analysis of satellite imagery by the BBC, the Israeli military has destroyed more than 1,500 buildings in the area of Gaza it is occupying since the ceasefire went into effect. The buildings did not show any signs of visible damage before Israel destroyed them, and they included buildings such as homes, and orchards, and gardens. The BBC analysis also showed that entire neighborhoods have been leveled through deliberate demolition.
PALESTINE/ISRAEL DEVELOPMENTS
🌧️ ISRAEL CONTINUES TO OBSTRUCT ENTRY OF SHELTER INTO GAZA AS PALESTINIANS FACE FLOODED TENTS
Last week, heavy rains flooded the tents of many displaced Palestinians as Israel continues to obstruct the entry of temporary shelters, additional tents, and winterization materials into Gaza in violation of the ceasefire agreement. Palestinians reported that their tents, many of which have been used for months and are too flimsy to keep water out, are collapsing under the weight of the rain and drenching their belongings–including mattresses, blankets, and clothes.
🔑 KEY TAKEAWAY: Mohammed al-Kafarna, a Palestinian who was displaced from his home in Beit Hanoun, recounted his family’s struggles with heavy rains while in a flimsy tent: “It rained on us and our tent flooded and our children were drenched. I had to start digging in the ground to try and divert the water and pile up sand to stop it coming in. But we are unable, it’s too much rain. All our clothes are wet, our blankets and we hope someone can come help us. This tent doesn’t protect us from rain, or the cold or the heat or anything. But me and my family of six live in it and no one is coming to help us.”
As a result of Israel’s genocidal violence and obstruction of the entry of aid, Palestinians also do not have the necessary tools to clear rubble and divert water away from their tents, which exacerbates these flooding issues. Additionally, the destruction of Gaza’s water and sewage infrastructure has forced Palestinians into crowded displacement camps with little drainage or sanitation. As the rain continues, it will also leave behind standing contaminated water that is likely to contribute to the spread of disease.
Humanitarian groups have warned for weeks that Israel’s restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid were leaving Palestinians without desperately needed shelter materials. In a statement earlier this month, humanitarian NGOs reported that Israeli authorities denied nearly two dozen requests to deliver tents, sealing and shelter supplies, and essential household items to Gaza. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs also reported earlier this month that nearly 1.5 million Palestinians need emergency shelter items.
🩺 ISRAEL CONTINUES TO RESTRICT MEDICAL SUPPLIES, LEAVING PALESTINIANS WITH INADEQUATE MEDICAL CARE
Last Tuesday, UNICEF reported that Israel is continuing to block essential medical goods, including one million syringes used to vaccinate children and bottles for baby formula, from entering Gaza. This is just the latest report of Israel’s continuing restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, which violates the ceasefire agreement.
According to UNICEF, the syringes have awaited clearance by Israeli authorities since August and are intended to be used in a vaccination campaign for Palestinian children. UNICEF also reports that refrigerators used to store vaccines are also being obstructed by Israeli authorities.
As a result of Israel’s annihilation of Gaza’s healthcare system and targeting of medical workers, one-fifth of all children under the age of three in Gaza are estimated to be missing routine vaccinations for diseases such as polio. The UN reported that of Gaza’s 54 immunization facilities that existed before the beginning of Israel’s genocide, 31 have been damaged or destroyed and renedered inoperable.
Additionally, Dr. Mohamed Abu Salmiya, the director of Al-Shifa Hospital who was abducted by the Israeli military and subjected to torture while in Israeli detention, reported that his hospital lacks 60% of the medicines that it needs and that Gaza does not have any working MRI or mammography machines.
In addition to Gaza’s clear scarcity of medical equipment, which is caused by Israeli restrictions on the entry of aid, Israel is still obstructing medical evacuations of wounded Palestinians by refusing to open the Rafah border crossing–in violation of the ceasefire agreement.
Photo: Maxim Elramsisy, via Shutterstock. Stock Photo ID: 2432694721