US Senator Sanders says he will force votes to block $8b in military aid to Israel

US Senator Bernie Sanders announced on Thursday that he will force votes on resolutions that would block arms sales to Israel due to an escalating humanitarian crisis amid an Israeli blockade of aid to Gaza.

The Independent senator for Vermont, who caucuses with Democrats, plans next week to force votes on two Joint Resolutions of Disapproval (JRD) he has introduced to block the $8.8bn worth of arms sales that President Donald Trump's administration has pledged to Israel.

Read more: A JRD can help force a vote because it only gives five calendar days for a committee to consider the resolution