Senators Take Stand for Holding Israel Accountable | Palestine Policy Roundup 10.6.26
Welcome to the Palestine Policy Roundup, a weekly publication of the IMEU Policy Project.
THE HUMAN COST OF WAR: BY THE NUMBERS:
🇵🇸 GAZA: 1,460 killed since the beginning of Trump's Gaza plan (Palestinian Ministry of Health); at least 5,147 Israeli violations of Trump's Gaza plan (Gaza Government Media Office); 74,243 killed during Israel's genocide (Palestinian Ministry of Health)
🇮🇷 IRAN: 3,468 killed (Iran Ministry of Health)
🇱🇧 LEBANON: 4,386 killed (Lebanon Ministry of Public Health)
🇮🇱 ISRAEL: 26 killed (Israel Ministry of Health)
🇺🇲 US: 23 service members killed; 861 service members injured
🕯️ COMING UP: MARKING THREE YEARS OF ISRAEL'S GENOCIDE
This month marks the third anniversary of the beginning of Israel's genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. Since October 2023, Israel has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians, including more than 1,000 since the announcement of the October 2025 Trump plan for Gaza.
Americans are increasingly voicing their opposition to continued US complicity in Israel's genocidal atrocities: a recent poll published by The New York Times found that 57% of Americans oppose providing more weapons to Israel.
📖 LEARN MORE about Israel's genocidal atrocities with this fact sheet published by our sister organization, the Institute for Middle East Understanding.
✅ 47 SENATORS SUPPORT ACCOUNTABILITY FOR ISRAEL
In yet another historic vote, nearly all Senate Democrats and one Republican supported a resolution introduced by Sen. Chris Van Hollen that sought to hold Israel accountable for its human rights abuses and violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
WHAT WOULD THE RESOLUTION HAVE DONE? The resolution, which invoked Section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act, would have required the State Department to issue a report to Congress on Israel's increasing violence against Palestinians, including Americans, in the West Bank.
The resolution specifically focused on Israel's killing of nine Americans by both the Israeli military and Israeli settlers since 2022 and the Israeli military's detention of Palestinian children in the West Bank.
It also raised attention to Israel's escalating violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, specifically related to the detention of Palestinian children.
ANOTHER HISTORIC VOTE: This vote represents significant progress in Congressional rejection of Israeli atrocities committed against Palestinians. Less than three years ago, a similar resolution led by Sen. Bernie Sanders focused on Israel's atrocities in Gaza only received 11 votes.
Since then, several historic votes have demonstrated Congress catching up with American voters. Most recently, 40 Senate Democrats voted to block the delivery of bombs and bulldozers to Israel, and more than 100 House Members voted to strip annual US funding for Israeli weapons from the State Department appropriations bill.
CATCHING UP WITH VOTERS: A poll released by IMEU Policy Project and conducted by Data For Progress found that US voters overwhelmingly (84%) support the 502B resolution. This support is bipartisan, with more than 80% of both Republicans and Democrats indicating their support.
The same poll found that more than 70% of voters also support the resolution's demand for a review of Israel's treatment of Palestinians in the West Bank.
🚨 ISRAELI MINISTER VISITS ISRAELI OUTPOST NEAR WHERE AMERICAN KILLED
Last weekend, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited an Israeli outpost that sits on land where Palestinian American Sayfollah "Saif" Musallet was killed by violent Israeli settlers in July 2025, and land that is owned by his family. As both the US and Israel continue to refuse to hold the killers of Saif accountable, the visit demonstrates the impunity with which Israel treats violent settler attacks against Palestinians, including Palestinian Americans.
AN OUTPOST ON AMERICAN LAND: The outpost that Ben-Gvir and other Israeli ministers visited was established on land owned by American citizens, including Saif's family. While Ben-Gvir can reach this land, violent Israeli settlers prevent Saif's father from safely reaching the area where his son was killed.
While outposts are considered illegal under both Israeli and international law, Israeli ministers visit them and the Israeli government provides funding and services.
⛓️ ISRAEL DETAINS TWO MORE AMERICANS
Israel has detained two more Palestinian American citizens in the West Bank as it continues to act with impunity. Last month, Israel detained Palestinian American journalist Naqaa Hamed at a checkpoint, and in June, Israel ripped Abdelkareem Issa Ahmed Safi from his family's home in the middle of the night. While Naqaa was released last week, Abdelkareem remains in Israeli detention.
WHO IS NAQAA? Israel detained Naqaa Hamed last month as she was returning from a reporting assignment in the West Bank. She was reportedly interrogated about her journalism, and her equipment was confiscated by the Israeli military.
Israel's detention of Naqaa came amid a campaign by violent Israeli settlers that targeted her for her reporting on Israel's siege of the homes of Palestinian families—including the home of Palestinian American Loui Ridi—in the Palestinian town of Qusra.
Naqaa was reportedly sent to Israel's Damon prison, which is located in northern Israel. Not only did her transfer violate the Fourth Geneva Conventions, but she was at risk of being subjected to many of the inhumane conditions and abuse reported by other Palestinian women detained there.
WHO IS ABDELKAREEM? Abdelkareem Safi was detained by the Israeli military just days before his 18th birthday and as he was in the middle of national final exams. He has ties to Texas, and he was detained without charge.
Abdelkareem is being held under Israel's system of arbitrary detention known as administrative detention, which Israel uses to hold Palestinians indefinitely without charge.
He is being held in Ofer prison, where Palestinians are subjected to abuse, torture, and inhumane conditions. According to a US embassy official, Abdelkareem was beaten on his first day in Israeli detention. He is also suffering from scabies, which he likely contracted as a result of the squalid conditions in the prison.
💰 IRAN WAR COST MOUNTS AS PENTAGON HIDES CASUALTY COUNTS
As President Trump threatens to continue the illegal war on Iran, new reports are continuing to demonstrate its multifaceted cost to Americans. In September, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reported that the war has cost American taxpayers more than $38 billion as of August 1. The CBO report also estimated that the war's continuation could cost at least $2 billion a month.
HIGHER INFLATION: The CBO report also noted that the war is responsible for one-third of inflation so far this year, and that the war is expected to push the inflation rate half a percentage point higher through the first quarter of 2027.
This higher inflation will put even more strain on Americans who are already struggling with the war's costs. The war on Iran has already cost Americans an estimated $115 billion in additional costs due to higher fuel prices as of September. That amounts to $860 per household.
AMERICANS KILLED, INJURED: Meanwhile, the Department of War continues to obscure the number of American service members killed in action during the war. According to a report published by The Washington Post, as many as 23 service members have died since the beginning of the war.
The Pentagon also quietly increased its count of the number of troops injured during the war by 37, bringing total service member injuries to 861.
👀 ICYMI: MEMBERS OF CONGRESS SPEAK OUT
Sen. Tammy Baldwin: "Salah Sarsour has been here legally for 30 years, has no U.S. criminal record, and is an upstanding member of our community – but this is who ICE targeted for deportation. That is simply wrong, and this administration's priorities are backwards. The administration should end its efforts to deport Salah immediately."
Sen. Chris Van Hollen: "Tonight, 47 Senators supported my resolution to get accountability for the 9 Americans killed on the West Bank & for Palestinians who face injustices daily. That's more support than we've ever had in this fight. Republicans blocked us, but we won't stop until we get justice."
Rep. Chuy Garcia and others: "Over the last three years, the Israeli government has systematically destroyed the health system in Palestine, murdering at least 1,700 Palestinian doctors, nurses, paramedics, and other healthcare workers and destroying dozens of hospitals. It has arrested and arbitrarily detained hundreds of Palestinian healthcare workers, including at least 16 physicians who continue to be held in inhumane conditions. Among them is Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, whom the Israeli government has arbitrarily detained since 2024 and tortured to the point of near-death after previously murdering his son and brutally attacking his hospital...We demand the immediate release of Dr. Abu Safiya and all other arbitrarily detained healthcare workers and Palestinian prisoners. And we demand an end to U.S. arms transfers to Israel..."
Rep. Pramila Jayapal: "At least 9 U.S. citizens have died in the West Bank since 2022, including my constituent Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi. We need accountability and answers. The Senate must pass @ChrisVanHollen's resolution."
Rep. Ro Khanna: "Our government is giving $2.8 billion in bombs to Israel. How about giving that money to the American people so they can afford food and gas? I'm tired of this Israel first policy. It's time to put Americans first."
Rep. Delia Ramirez: "Two years ago, we lost a beloved child and a precious light when Wadee Alfayoumi was murdered. He was the victim of an Anti-Palestinian hate crime instigated by dehumanizing rhetoric. Today, as bigotry and hate continue to put our loved ones at risk, we can choose humanity and unity over dehumanization and death. We can choose to build a future of true safety and new opportunities. In Wadee's honor, let us affirm that all children are our children, uplift our shared humanity, and create a world of peace without fear of violence."
Photo: Edward Crawford, via Shutterstock. Stock Photo ID: 1112086073