Nearly two dozen US lawmakers urge Biden to withhold offensive weapons to Israel

A group of 20 US members of Congress signed a letter urging the Biden administration to withhold offensive weaponry to Israel's military over its failure to address the humanitarian situation in Gaza as its military continues its 14-month war in the enclave.

The effort from the lawmakers, led by Congressman Greg Casar, is in response to a letter sent by the Biden administration to the Israeli government warning Israel to increase humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza or risk a reassessment of US military support.

"We urge your Administration to adhere to and uphold US law by suspending offensive military transfers to Netanyahu and his government," the lawmakers wrote in their letter sent on Tuesday.

"Failure to do so not only risks our leverage in ceasefire negotiations, it undermines our country's own national security and weakens America's commitment to human rights as a cornerstone of our foreign policy."

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