US Sen. Bernie Sanders criticizes Israel over violence

By Safvan Allahverdi

WASHINGTON (AA) - Former presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders on Monday criticized Israel for its atrocities toward Palestinians near the Israel-Gaza border, urging regional and international actors to stop humanitarian crisis and violence in Gaza.

At least 52 Palestinian demonstrators were martyred on Monday -- and hundreds more injured -- on the day the U.S. embassy relocated from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

"The United States must play an aggressive role in bringing Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Egypt and the international community together to address Gaza’s humanitarian crisis and stop this escalating violence," the Vermont senator said in a tweet.

The only American lawmaker to openly address the Israeli violence so far, Sanders described the killing of dozens of Palestinians by Israel as "a staggering toll".

"Over 50 killed in Gaza today and 2,000 wounded, on top of the 41 killed and more than 9,000 wounded over the past weeks. This is a staggering toll," he noted, adding that Israel cannot fire on unarmed protesters using Hamas violence as justification.

Trump sparked international outcry last December when he unilaterally recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital and vowed to relocate Washington's embassy to the city.

The embassy relocation coincides with the 70th anniversary of Israel’s establishment in 1948 -- an event Palestinians refer to as the “Nakba” or the “The Catastrophe”.

Thousands of Palestinians have gathered on Gaza Strip’s eastern border since early Monday morning to take part in protests aimed to commemorate the Nakba anniversary and protest relocating the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.