Two resolutions that would have blocked arms sales to Israel in response to civilian casualties in Gaza were blocked in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday, although they garnered more support than similar measures earlier this year.
The two resolutions were introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent aligned with Democrats. They failed by 73 to 24 and 70 to 27 in the 100-member chamber in voting late on Wednesday night.
Similar measures, also introduced by Sanders, failed by 82-15 and 83-15 in April.
All of the votes for the resolutions came from Democrats, with all of President Donald Trump’s fellow Republicans opposed. Sanders said in a statement he was pleased that a majority of the Democratic caucus had backed the effort.
“The tide is turning. The American people do not want to spend billions to starve children in Gaza,” Sanders said. “The Democrats are moving forward on this issue, and I look forward to Republican support in the near future.”
At least 48 Palestinians were killed and dozens were wounded on Wednesday while waiting for food at a crossing in the Gaza Strip, according to a local hospital that received the casualties.
Shifa Hospital in Gaza City said the dead and wounded were among crowds massed at the Zikim Crossing, the main entry point for humanitarian aid to northern Gaza. It was not immediately clear who opened fire and there was no immediate comment from the Israeli military, which controls the crossing.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Thursday that he had discussed the crisis in Gaza with his U.K. counterpart, Keir Starmer, and reiterated his government’s strong support for a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians.
Starmer this week said Britain was prepared to recognize a Palestinian state in September at the United Nations General Assembly in response to growing public anger over the images of starving children in Gaza. Australia has not yet made a formal decision to recognize Palestine though Albanese supports Israel’s right to exist within secure borders and Palestinians’ right to demand their own state.
In a statement, Albanese said they agreed on the importance of using international momentum to secure a ceasefire, the release of all Israeli hostages and the acceleration of aid. They also want to ensure militant group Hamas does not play a role in a future Palestinian state.
Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers on Thursday said the treatment of hostages and any involvement of Hamas in a future Palestinian state remained major obstacles for Australia but added the government would push for a two-state solution. “It’s a matter of when, not if, Australia recognizes a Palestinian state … but I don’t want to put a time frame on it,” Chalmers told ABC News.
Canada intends to recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations in September, Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Wednesday.
Carney told reporters that the planned move was predicated on the Palestinian Authority’s commitment to “much-needed reforms,” including commitments to fundamentally reform its governance and to hold general elections in 2026 in which Hamas can play no part.
Carney went on to say that Canada condemns the fact that the Israeli government has allowed a catastrophe to unfold in Gaza, saying that he spoke to Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday.
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The body of Awdah Hathaleen, who was shot by a settler in the village of Umm al-Khair in the southern West Bank on Monday, is still being held by the police, even though the autopsy was completed on Wednesday.
The police are refusing to release the body at this time and are setting conditions for the family regarding the funeral. Among its other demands, police insist the family not erect a mourning tent near the house and that the number of people at the funeral be limited to 15. The family is currently refusing these conditions.
At least 37 Palestinians were killed on Wednesday while waiting for food at a crossing in the Gaza Strip, according to Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, which received the casualties.
The hospital said the dead and wounded were among crowds massed at the Zikim Crossing, the main entry point for humanitarian aid to northern Gaza. It was not immediately clear who opened fire and there was no immediate comment from the Israeli military, which controls the crossing.
Here are the latest updates on day 663 of the war:
■ U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Witkoff will travel to Israel Thursday, where he will meet with officials to discuss next steps in addressing the situation in Gaza.
■ The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said that over the past 24 hours, 103 Palestinians have been killed and 339 have been wounded. According to the ministry, seven of the deceased died due to hunger and malnutrition.
■ Israel has conveyed its response to the latest Hamas proposal to mediators involved in the negotiations for a hostage release deal and an end to the war, a foreign source familiar with the talks told Haaretz.
■ President Donald Trump said the U.S. will partner with Israel to run new food centers in Gaza to address the worsening humanitarian crisis there.
■ A 17-year-old was moderately to severely wounded by a gunshot to his back near the Tzur Harel outpost in the West Bank. The Border Police officer who shot the teenager has been taken in for questioning by the Justice Ministry unit that investigates police misconduct.
■ Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hamas of stealing humanitarian aid in an English-language post on X, adding that Israel acted and “airdropped aid to Gazan civilians.” Netanyahu called on other nations to support aid efforts.
■ Mothers of combat soldiers serving in the Gaza Strip held a protest outside the home of IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and called for the end of the war.
■ Two ultra-Orthodox factions in the Knesset, Shas and United Torah Judaism, issued a statement reiterating their support of any proposal for a hostage deal.
■ A drone fired from Yemen towards Israel was intercepted, the IDF said on Wednesday.
Click here for previous updates.
