On Wednesday, September 17, 2025, US Senator Bernie Sanders took a historic and controversial step by labeling Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza as "genocide," becoming the first sitting US senator to publicly use such a term. Sanders’ statement, released under the stark title “It’s a Genocide,” marks a significant escalation in US political discourse surrounding the conflict, and it comes at a moment when international scrutiny of Israel’s actions has reached new heights.
According to reporting from multiple outlets, Sanders did not mince words: "Having named it a genocide, we must use every ounce of our leverage to demand an immediate ceasefire," he declared. Sanders, who has previously led Senate efforts to block US arms sales to Israel, had until now refrained from using the term genocide—a word that Israeli leaders have vehemently rejected, calling it an antisemitic “blood libel.” But in his new statement, Sanders argued that the conclusion was “inescapable.”
Backing up his charge, Sanders cited grim casualty figures: at least 65,000 Palestinians killed and 164,000 wounded out of Gaza’s 2.2 million population since the military campaign intensified. He pointed to Israeli military data suggesting that 83% of those killed were civilians—a figure that, if accurate, underscores the devastating impact on non-combatants. Sanders also drew attention to inflammatory statements from Israeli officials, including Defense Minister Yoav Gallant’s notorious description of Palestinians as “human animals” and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s vow that “Gaza will be entirely destroyed.”
While acknowledging Israel’s right to defend itself following the October 7, 2023, attack that killed about 1,200 people, Sanders sharply criticized what he called the indiscriminate targeting of civilians. “We, as Americans, must end our complicity in the slaughter of the Palestinian people,” he wrote, urging the United States to halt military aid to what he described as “[Benjamin] Netanyahu’s genocidal government.” Sanders called for an immediate ceasefire, a massive surge of humanitarian aid facilitated by the United Nations, and initial steps toward establishing a Palestinian state. “Having named it a genocide, we must use every ounce of our leverage to demand an immediate ceasefire, a massive surge of humanitarian aid facilitated by the UN, and initial steps to provide Palestinians with a state of their own,” he added, doubling down on his stance.
Sanders’ statement comes in the wake of a United Nations commission of experts concluding that Israel’s actions in Gaza “meet the criteria set forth in the Genocide Convention.” This finding has added significant weight to calls for accountability and an end to the violence. Sanders is now part of a small but growing group of US lawmakers—including Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Vermont’s Becca Balint—who have described the situation in Gaza as genocide. Additionally, Democratic Senators Chris Van Hollen and Jeff Merkley, after visiting the region, released a report describing the violence as “ethnic cleansing” and criticizing what they termed US complicity.
International momentum appears to be building as well. Several countries—Australia, France, Luxembourg, Malta, Canada, and the United Kingdom—are reportedly planning to recognize Palestinian statehood at the United Nations General Assembly in New York next week, as reported by The Guardian. This diplomatic shift signals a growing impatience with the status quo and an increasing willingness among Western nations to challenge Israel’s policies directly.
Sanders’ statement was not just a call for words; it was a demand for action and accountability. He invoked the historical origins of the term genocide, reminding readers that it emerged from the horrors of the Holocaust, “the murder of 6 million Jews—one of the darkest chapters in human history.” Sanders warned, “If there is no accountability for Netanyahu and his fellow war criminals, other demagogues will do the same.”
Meanwhile, tensions in the region have spilled beyond Gaza’s borders, with the conflict’s ripple effects now being felt in Yemen. On the same day as Sanders’ statement, Yemen’s Foreign Ministry sent a letter to the United Nations and the European Union, urging the international community to condemn a recent Israeli aerial assault on the Red Sea port of Hudaydah. According to Yemeni officials, Israeli jets conducted 12 airstrikes on civilian infrastructure at the port, causing casualties among port workers. The Yemeni Foreign Ministry denounced the attack as a "blatant violation of Yemen’s sovereignty, the UN Charter, international law, and international humanitarian law," and called for urgent global action against what it termed the "occupying regime."
Hudaydah port is a vital lifeline for Yemen, handling nearly 80 percent of the country’s imports of food, medicine, fuel, and other essential goods. The Yemeni government warned that the Israeli attack would worsen the already dire humanitarian situation in Yemen, deepen food insecurity, and obstruct the delivery of desperately needed aid. The attack coincided with a UN Security Council session on Yemen, underscoring what Yemeni officials described as Israel’s "disregard for international law."
The Yemeni Foreign Ministry’s letter also highlighted that the Israeli attack would not deter Yemen from its support for Gaza. Instead, officials vowed to intensify operations in solidarity with the Palestinian people. Yemen’s Armed Forces began their pro-Palestine campaign in November 2023, targeting Israeli-linked ships and striking targets in the occupied territories. They have pledged to continue these efforts until Israel ends its military campaign in Gaza and lifts its blockade of the territory.
Brigadier General Yahya Saree, spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces, stated on Tuesday that Yemen’s air defense systems had confronted Israeli aircraft and forced some to withdraw before carrying out their air raids. Notably, the Israeli military had issued an evacuation order for Hudaydah port shortly before the attack. In the aftermath, Israeli Minister of Military Affairs Israel Katz issued a stark warning, stating that Yemenis would “continue to suffer blows” and “pay painful prices” if they attacked the occupied lands.
As the violence continues and the humanitarian crises deepen in both Gaza and Yemen, the international community faces growing pressure to respond. Sanders’ use of the word “genocide” has injected new urgency into the debate, forcing lawmakers, diplomats, and citizens alike to confront uncomfortable questions about complicity, accountability, and the future of the region. With the United Nations General Assembly set to convene next week and several countries poised to recognize Palestinian statehood, the coming days could prove pivotal in shaping the world’s response to one of the most intractable conflicts of our time.
In the end, the words of Sanders and the actions of governments around the world may prove to be more than just rhetoric—they could mark a turning point in the search for justice, peace, and accountability in the Middle East.