United States Support For Israel In The Israel–Hamas War

Following the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel and outbreak of the Israel–Hamas war, the United States began to send warships and military aircraft into the Eastern Mediterranean and began sending Israel more military supplies. The US stated that Israel would receive "whatever it needs" to support its offensive against the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. On 20 October, President Biden announced that he had asked Congress for $14 billion in additional aid.

Israel and the United States were becoming increasingly isolated amid growing worldwide calls for a ceasefire, with the US vetoing three United Nations Security Council resolutions calling for a humanitarian ceasefire. International rights groups have condemned the U.S. for providing military and diplomatic support to Israel that they say risks complicity in Israeli war crimes. Biden faced increasing opposition to US support for Israel, including from within his own administration. By March 7, 2024, the US had sent Israel over 100 weapons shipments since the war began.

As the war went on, however, US–Israel relations began to become strained. The US government became more critical of Israel and its stance slowly began to change as Palestinian civilian casualties rose and opposition grew. In February, the Biden administration issued a national security directive requiring written assurances from Israel that it was using US-supplied weapons in line with international law. In March, the US began calling for an immediate and sustained ceasefire linked to the release of hostages, and Israel berated the US for allowing a ceasefire resolution to pass at the UN Security Council. The US also voiced its opposition to much of Israel's post-war plan for Gaza. Nonetheless, on March 29, 2024, the administration of US President Joe Biden once again authorized the transfer of billions of dollars in bombs and fighter jets to Israel.

Background

After Hamas gunmen attacked Israel on October 7, resulting in death of 1,139 Israelis, Israel began a campaign against Gaza.
Since the start of the Israeli operation, more than 30,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed, including over 12,300 children and 8,400 women. Several thousand more are missing and presumed trapped under rubble. And Israel has placed a complete blockade on Gaza to prevent fuel and water from entering the Gaza Strip. The United States described Hamas' preemptive attack as "unprovoked," and started sending warships and warplanes into the region, prepared to give Israel whatever it needs. The United States Commission on Civil Rights called on the government to address the underlying issues that have led to the recent violence, such Israel's 56-year illegal possession of the Palestinian lands and its 16-year blockade of Gaza, "and the apartheid regime throughout historic Palestine."

Since Israel's founding in 1948, it has received $158 billion in military aid from the United States, making it the greatest recipient in history.
Following Israel's victory over surrounding Arab forces in 1967 and its subsequent occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza, military assistance to the country surged significantly. Iron Dome, which became operational in 2011, was created with the help of the United States, which is responsible for providing components for the system, including allocating more than $1.5 billion for missile defense for Israel in 2022.
As part of a record $38 billion agreement over ten years negotiated under former US President Barack Obama in 2016, US military aid to Israel exceeded $3.8 billion in 2023. Of the $3.8 billion in military aid given to Israel this year, half a billion was for Israel's missile defense. Washington has announced that it will replenish Israel's ammunition used in the recent war against Hamas.

Timeline

October

* Hours after the Israel–Hamas war on October 7, the United States started sending warships and warplanes into the region, prepared to give Israel whatever it needs.
** US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin ordered the deployment of United States Navy's Carrier Strike Group 12, led by the USS Gerald R. Ford.
** Israel asked the United States for Iron Dome interceptors, and President Joe Biden said Washington would quickly provide additional equipment and resources, including ammunition, which are going to reach Israel within days.
** US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington would provide its "full support" to Israel, with guided missile launchers and F-35 fighter jets among the equipment being sent.

* By October 10, more ships and troops were on their way to Israel, and additional troops in the United States were being prepared to deploy if requested. One US aircraft carrier and its strike group were already in the eastern Mediterranean, and a second US carrier had left and was underway.
** In addition, three naval warships were sent to the area. A large number of aircraft were sent to US military bases throughout the Middle East, and US special operations forces cooperated with the Israeli military in planning and intelligence.
** As Israel prepares for a possible ground attack on Gaza, the Biden administration and prominent members of Congress are preparing an aid package from the United States with about $2 billion in additional funding to support Israel, Time reported.
* On October 12, Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated America's commitment to Israel's security during a news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
* On October 14, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III announced that he had dispatched a second aircraft carrier to the eastern Mediterranean “to deter hostile actions against Israel or any efforts towards widening this war”. In addition, the Air Force was sending twice as many F-16, A-10, and F-15E squadrons as before to the Persian Gulf region in order to intensify its land-based assault aircraft presence there. According to officials, the United States would have an aerial armada of more than 100 attack planes when combined with the four squadrons of F/A-18 jets that were stationed onboard each carrier. Additionally, to help with intelligence gathering and preparation for any operations aimed at locating and rescuing the 150 hostages—among them, some Americans—that Hamas is allegedly keeping, the Pentagon had dispatched a small team of Special Operations personnel to Israel.
* On October 15, the White House declared that it would attempt this week to get congressional approval of a fresh $2 billion weaponry aid package for Israel and Ukraine.
** Also US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered about 2,000 troops to be prepared for possible deployment to Israel, several defense officials said.
** According to three American officials and one Israeli official, the Biden administration was discussing about the possibility of using military force if Hezbollah joins the Gaza war.
** The United States was prepared to send more forces as a deterrent to the Middle East if necessary.
* By October 17, five shipments of American weapons and equipment had arrived in Israel. The US put 2,000 troops on high alert and extended the deployment of an aircraft carrier in the Middle East.
* On October 18, the US vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution that would have condemned the Hamas attack on Israel while calling for a pause in the fighting to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza. The US said the resolution did not do enough to underscore Israel's right to self-defense. The US Ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, told the council "We are on the ground doing the hard work of diplomacy. We believe we need to let that diplomacy play out".
* On October 19, one day after travelling to Israel, US President urged Congress to increase military aid to Israel.
** Biden claimed that Hamas aimed to "annihilate" democracy in Israel.
* On October 20, Biden announced that the additional fund he asked Congress to authorize would come to a total of $14 billion, as part of a $105 billion military aid package.
* On October 21 the Pentagon declared that two of its most potent missile defense systems—a THAAD battery and extra Patriot batteries—would be deployed to the Middle East.

November

* A Republican plan, approved by the United States House of Representatives, allocates $14.5 billion in military aid for Israel. Also, Israel has received the highest amount of military assistance from the US compared to any other nation since World War II, with aid exceeding $124 billion.

December

* A ''Wall Street Journal'' report says that the United States has given Israel a range of munitions, including so-called "bunker buster" bombs, for its war in Gaza. The report stated that US arms shipments to Israel since the start of the war included 15,000 bombs and 57,000 155mm artillery shells, mostly carried on C-17 military cargo planes. U.S. has also sent more than 5,000 unguided Mk82 bombs, more than 5,400 Mk84 bombs, about 1,000 small diameter GBU-39 bombs, and almost 3,000 JDAMs. The ''Wall Street Journal'' says that some of the bloodiest Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip have involved the use of big US-made bombs, such as the one that destroyed an apartment complex in the Jabalia refugee camp and killed over a hundred people.
* On December 8, the US vetoed another UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. The US called it "unbalanced" because it did not condemn the Hamas attack nor acknowledge Israel's right to self-defense.
* On December 9, the Pentagon said that on the prior day, Biden used emergency authority to skip congressional review to sell ~14,000 tank shells worth $106.5 million for immediate delivery to Israel.
* On December 12, Biden said "Israel's security can rest on the United States" but warned that Israel was losing international support because of its "indiscriminate bombing" of Gaza.
* On December 29, the United States government again hastily sold to Israel artillery shells and related weapons worth 147.5 million dollars to replenish Israel's dwindling weapons stockpile.

January

* On January 4, John Kirby stated the United States had "not seen anything" that Israel had done that would make the US change its approach.
* On January 18, US Department of State spokesman Matthew Miller stated, "Our support for Israel remains ironclad."
* PM Netanyahu stated that he would not support a Palestinian state and that he was proud to have thus far prevented a state, leading Biden to comment that he believed a two-state solution was still possible with Netanyahu in power.
* On January 19, John Kirby stated, "We don't have any indications that there's deliberate efforts to commit war crimes" by Israel.
* Brett McGurk, the White House leader of post-war Gaza planning, was reportedly pushing a plan that would exchange minimal Israeli interference in the Palestinian Territories for Saudi normalization with Israel.
* The CIA established a new taskforce to provide intelligence to Israel regarding Hamas leaders.

February

* On February 8, Biden called Israel's actions in Gaza "over the top". Following this, the Biden administration issued a national security directive demanding written assurances from Israel (and other countries) that it was using US-supplied weapons in line with international law or face a pause in weapons transfers. Israel has to prove this to the US State Department on a yearly basis or risk having its weapons supplies cut.
* In a call with Benjamin Netanyahu on February 11, Biden said the US would not support an Israeli assault on Rafah without a "credible and executable plan" for ensuring the safety of civilians. Three anonymous U.S. officials stated that the US would not punish Israel if its forces attacked Rafah without a plan to protect civilians.
* The State Department stated it was reviewing reports of Israel harming Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
* The Senate passed a $14 billion USD aid package for Israel.
* The U.S. began preparing to send Israel more weapons ahead of its planned Rafah offensive, stating, "Israel takes effective action to prevent gross violations of human rights."
* On 20 February, the US vetoed a UN Security Council resolution seeking an "immediate humanitarian ceasefire". The US envoy, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said that the resolution would undermine ongoing hostage negotiations: "Demanding an immediate unconditional ceasefire, without an agreement requiring Hamas to release the hostages, will not bring about durable peace". Instead, the US proposed a draft UN Security Council resolution, calling for a "temporary ceasefire in Gaza as soon as practicable, based on the formula of all hostages being released". It stated that a Rafah offensive would have "serious implications" and "should not proceed under current circumstances". The US's draft resolution also rejects any Israeli attempt at demographic or territorial change in Gaza that would violate international law. The US said it would not yet put the resolution to a vote as it wanted to allow negotiations to continue.
* Republican congressman Andy Ogles responded "we should kill 'em all" when asked about the deaths of Palestinian children.
* Aaron Bushnell immolated himself in front of the Embassy of Israel, Washington, D.C. in protest of the war.

March

* Following the Flour massacre, the US began airdrops of aid into Gaza. Officials stated, "Biden remains unwilling to make any major shifts in his policy toward Israel, including placing conditions on military aid to Israel".
** Algeria proposed a motion to the UN Security Council to release a statement condemning the massacre and blaming Israel, which was blocked by the United States. The deputy US ambassador to the UN, Robert Wood, said the US was alarmed by the incident and called on Israel to investigate, but claimed "We don't have all the facts on the ground".
* Biden called on Republicans to pass his foreign aid bill to "help ensure that Israel can defend itself". He said it would also provide "critical humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people".
* On 4 March, US vice president Kamala Harris called for "an immediate ceasefire for at least the next six weeks" because of "the immense scale of suffering in Gaza". She said Israel must let more aid into Gaza and called on Hamas to accept a ceasefire deal involving the release of hostages. She added that "President Joe Biden and I are unwavering in our commitment to Israel's security". Harris was reportedly urging Biden to speak more about the high death toll and plight of survivors in Gaza.
* UN Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield stated, "Not nearly enough humanitarian aid is getting into the hands of Palestinians".
* U.S. officials told Congress they had approved more than 100 arms sales to Israel since 7 October.
* Some of Biden's closest allies in the U.S. Senate — including Chris Coons, Jack Reed, Tim Kaine, and Patty Murray — were reportedly pressuring Biden to change his tactics in Gaza. Senator Bernie Sanders, along with seven other U.S. senators, warned Biden that arming Israel was a violation of the Foreign Assistance Act, which bars the U.S. from arming countries that limit humanitarian aid.
* An intelligence report found that Israel was likely to experience armed resistance from Hamas "for years to come" and that Netanyahu's viability as leader "may be in jeopardy".
* In a speech on 14 March, the US Senate majority leader, Chuck Schumer, berated Israeli PM Netanyahu as an "obstacle to peace". He said that Netanyahu "has been too willing to tolerate the civilian toll in Gaza" and that "Israel cannot survive if it becomes a pariah". Schumer added that if Netanyahu stayed in power after the war, "the United States will have no choice but to play a more active role in shaping Israeli policy by using our leverage to change the present course". President Biden praised the speech and said Schumer's "serious concerns" are shared by many Americans.
* A group of 19 Senate Democrats sent an open letter to Biden, stating, "We request the Biden administration promptly establish a bold, public framework outlining the steps necessary" to create a Palestinian state.
* Jack Lew, Joseph R. Biden's ambassador to Israel, endorsed Israel's claim that it was abiding by international law during its war on Gaza.
* Reuters reported Congressional leaders and the White House had reached a deal to bar funding for UNRWA, the organization principally responsible for delivering food and providing education in Gaza, until March 2025.
** Upon the bill's passage, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen stated, "Denying funding for UNRWA is tantamount to denying food to starving people and restricting medical supplies to injured civilians".
** The bill included a long-standing provision that limits aid to the Palestinian Authority if "the Palestinians initiate an International Criminal Court (ICC) judicially authorized investigation, or actively supports such an investigation, that subjects Israeli nationals to an investigation for alleged crimes against Palestinians."
* John Barrasso stated that in a meeting with Netanyahu, senate Republicans told him that "Israel has every right to defend themselves".
* The US put forward a draft UN Security Council resolution which stated the "imperative" for "an immediate and sustained ceasefire", facilitating aid delivery and supporting ongoing talks between Israel and Hamas, linked to the release of hostages. On March 22, the draft resolution was vetoed by Russia and China, who said the wording was ambiguous and was not a straightforward "call" or "demand" to halt hostilities.
* On March 22, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said he told the Israeli government that "A major military ground operation n Rafahis not the way to do it. It risks killing many more civilians, it risks wreaking greater havoc on the provision of humanitarian assistance, it risks further isolation of Israel around the world and jeopardizing its long-term security and standing". He added "We’re looking forward to seeing Israeli officials in Washington next week to go through the details and the best way forward. We’re determined that Israel succeed in defending itself".
* On March 23, the US Defense Ministry said a planned visit by the Israeli Defense Minister to the U.S. would focus on "the progress of the fighting to dismantle Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the efforts to return the hostages held captive by Hamas, the actions being taken on the ground to bring in humanitarian aid", as well as on weapons procurement "to preserve the qualitative advantage of the State of Israel in the region".
* On March 24, Vice president Kamala Harris replied, "I am ruling out nothing," when asked if there would be consequences for Israel if it invaded Rafah.
* A group of 17 Democratic senators urged the Biden administration to reject Israel's report stating that it was complying with international human rights law in Gaza. The following day, the U.S. Department of State accepted Israel's statements regarding its compliance.
* On March 25, the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire for the remainder of Ramadan, "leading to a lasting sustainable ceasefire", and demanding the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. The US abstained, allowing the resolution to pass. The Israeli government berated the US for not voting against the resolution, and called off a meeting between an Israeli delegation and US officials in Washington.
* The U.S. House introduced a bill to reevaluate the U.S. relationship with South Africa.
* On 30 March, the White House authorized $2.5 billion in weapons transfers to Israel.
* US Congressman Tim Walberg suggested dropping a nuclear bomb on Gaza to "get it over quick."

Analysis

U.S. lawmakers have long viewed Israel as an ally to help protect U.S. strategic interests in the Middle East. Maintaining Israel's regional military hegemony, according to Al-Jazeera, is a central element of U.S. Middle East policy. This has been achieved with U.S. financial aid and an increase in Israel's military arsenal.
Josh Paul, who resigned over sending arms to Israel, has described Biden policy in favor of "the status quo of the occupation" and a "shortsighted, destructive, unjust" policy that "will only lead to more and deeper suffering for both the Israeli and the Palestinian people — and is not in the long term American interest."

Although the U.S. has asked Israel to protect civilians and allow humanitarian aid, State Secretary Antony Blinken acknowledged that there is "a gap" between these appeals and "the actual results that we’re seeing on the ground." The United States has not used its leverage over Israel—its weapons transfers and diplomatic support—to ensure civilian safety, leading the ''Washington Post'' to describe American rhetoric as a "good cop-bad cop approach." Aaron David Miller of the CEIP said that the Biden administration deserved credit for the humanitarian pause negotiations, but that it had "tethered" itself to Israeli war aims that cannot be achieved without bringing "grievous harm to the civilian population."

Ali Harb described the contradictions between media reports about Biden's "frustration" with Netanyahu, and his continued military support for Israel, stating, "The US keeps calling for minimising civilian casualties, but the Palestinian death toll keeps growing. The Biden administration repeatedly emphasises the two-state solution; Israeli leaders continue to explicitly say they oppose the establishment of a Palestinian state." In March 2024, Al Jazeera English senior analyst Marwan Bishara assessed a perceived shift in Biden's tone toward the war, stating, "Biden is underlining a change of tone, not a change of policy. And that explains a bit why he sounds as if he's speaking from both sides of his mouth."

In late-March 2024, Tamer Qarmout, a professor at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, stated, "You don't see the US using its real leverage to stop Israel or correct its behaviours."

U.S. isolation

Israel and the United States were increasingly isolated amid growing global calls for a ceasefire. American political scientist Ian Bremmer stated the Biden administration's position unconditionally supporting Israel had left Joe Biden as isolated on the world stage as Russia president Vladimir Putin. Jeffrey Sachs, a professor of economics at Columbia University, also stated that the United States was being isolated on the world stage due to its support for Israel. In March 2024, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders wrote the U.S. was "virtually alone in the world" in continuing to defend Israel's actions.

Double standards

The Islamic world and much of the Global South accused United States and its allies of double standard in condemning an illegal occupation in Ukraine while standing firmly behind Israel that has occupied Palestinian lands.
Western leaders, pressed for weeks to say whether the loss of thousands mostly civilian lives could be a violation of international law, spoke only tentatively, adding that they could not judge: "We're not going to get dragged into all this judge-and-jury role," US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said.
A year earlier, in March 2022, United States Department of State officially announced that, based on available information, the US government assessed that members of Russian forces in Ukraine had committed war crimes."
The number of civilians killed in Gaza in two months is more than those killed in Ukraine in more than two years, according to some accounts. The U.S. State Department has said there is no need to launch any formal domestic investigation into whether Israel has committed war crimes, even though the weapons it uses are supplied by the US.
In a speech to the European Parliament, the EU's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, said water cuts are a violation of international law, regardless of where it occur, in Ukraine or in Gaza.

Backlash to US support

Human rights organizations and UN officials have heavily criticized the Biden administration for vetoing multiple UN resolutions calling for an immediate ceasefire and for continuing to send arms to Israel. Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas said the US was complicit in war crimes, and Amnesty International's Secretary General said that the veto showed that the US "displays a callous disregard for civilian suffering in the face of a staggering death toll." Doctors Without Borders said that the veto "stands in sharp contrast to the values it professes to uphold," and that the US was providing "diplomatic cover for the ongoing atrocities in Gaza." Human Rights Watch said that the veto and the military support "risks complicity in war crimes." Following the veto, a UN General Assembly resolution calling for a ceasefire garnered overwhelming support, with 153 countries voting for the resolution to 10 opposed. Turkey's president called for reform of the UN Security Council system that allows for the five permanent members to veto resolutions supported by the overwhelming majority of countries.

Polling by the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies showed 94 percent of respondents in sixteen Middle East countries had a negative view of U.S. policy in the war and 76 percent had a diminished view of the country due to its policies. In a social media post, the Palestine UN mission criticized the US secretary of state for not acknowledging the tens of thousands of killed Palestinians in his post marking the 100 days since the start of the war.

On 4 February 2024, Irish MEP Mick Wallace accused the United States of lacking respect for other cultures or international law after it initiated a bombing campaign against Yemen. Following a US veto of a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire, Zhang Jun, China's ambassador to the UN, stated it was "nothing different from giving the green light to the continued slaughter". Marc Owen Jones, a professor at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, criticized Biden's 2024 State of the Union Address, stating that it reflected "the Israeli line that everything they are doing, the genocide, the mass killings, is a response to October 7".

Within Congress

U.S. House

On October 29, 2023, the only Palestinian-American in Congress, Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), accused Israel of committing genocide, saying, "President Biden, not all America is with you on this one, and you need to wake up and understand. We are literally watching people commit genocide." House Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) stated on December 27, 2023 that US policy in Israel had failed. Representative Jim McGovern (D-MA) stated on January 3, 2024 that Israeli officials' statements calling for the forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza were "reprehensible." Representatives Rashida Tlaib and Cori Bush (D-MO) released a joint statement on January 12 in support of the '' South Africa v. Israel'' case, stating, "The US must stop trying to discredit and undermine this case and the international legal system it claims to support." Congressmembers Ro Khanna (D-CA), Val Hoyle (D-OR), and Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) condemned Biden's 2024 missile strikes in Yemen on January 12, stating only Congress has the power to approve a war. A January 19 letter from 60 Democratic Party congressmembers urged U.S. Secretary Antony Blinken to firmly condemn the forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza. A group of a dozen Jewish congress members issued a statement on January 19 condemning Netanyahu's opposition to a Palestinian state, reading, "We strongly disagree with the Prime Minister. A two-state solution is the path forward."

Texan Congressman Lloyd Doggett wrote on January 24: "After all America has done for him, if Netanyahu ‘needs to be able to say no’ to us, we need to say no to him and do so now!" On January 24, a group of five Congressmembers requested the Government Accountability Office to review whether arms transferred to Israel were being used to violate international law. Mark Pocan (D-WI) criticized Biden's decision to suspend UNRWA funding, stating on January 29: "UNRWA feeds 1.2 million people a day, as well as helps distribute aid now to all Palestinians in need. Aid needs to be restored now to help the displaced millions in Gaza." Chuy Garcia (D-IL) stated, "The US should reverse its decision to freeze UNRWA funding. 0n February 11, 2024, Congresswoman Cori Bush criticized Israel's impending invasion of Rafah, stating, "Almost half of Gaza's population has taken refuge in Rafah. There's nowhere else to go." Congressman Ro Khanna also criticized Biden's response to Israel's planned attack on Rafah, stating, "This is not the time for vague generalities about doing more to protect civilian life."

On February 28, U.S. Congresswoman Madeleine Dean (D-PA) called for an end to the war and condemned Netanyahu, stating, "Prime Minister Netanyahu's dishonesty – his broken promises to use precision strikes to protect civilians and his false claims that safe zones have been created and enforced – is unacceptable". A group of two dozen House members demanded Biden and Blinken take steps to ensure journalists' safety in Gaza, stating: "Not enough steps have been taken to safeguard the lives of the civilian population in Gaza, including journalists". On 29 February, Congressman Jim McGovern called for the U.S. to increase humanitarian aid to Gaza, stating, "Massive humanitarian support is needed to save innocent lives." A group of six U.S. House Representatives — Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Sean Casten (D-IL), Madeleine Dean, Becca Balint (D-VT), Salud Carbajal (D-CA), and Mark Takano (D-CA) — returned from a trip to Israel and released a joint statement, saying, "We are deeply worried that Prime Minister Netanyahu is moving toward the total destruction of Gaza and has demonstrated an utter disregard for Palestinian lives".

U.S. Senate

On November 2, 2023, Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) became the first U.S. Senator to call for a permanent ceasefire. He was followed by Jeff Merkley (D-OR) later that same month. On December 23, 2023, US Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), stated, "There's a big gap between what the United States says is essential, and what the Netanyahu government is prepared to do. And when you see these big gaps, the United States looks feckless." US Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) criticized Biden's emergency sale of weapons to Israel on December 30, 2023, stating, "Why should the Admin bypass Congress on arms sales to any nation? Bypassing Congress = keeping the American public in the dark." U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) forced a vote on January 17, 2024 on a resolution requiring the State Department to explore whether U.S. weapons were being used to violate international humanitarian law.

On February 7, 2024, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) stated he would support an amendment requiring weapons sold internationally to be used in compliance with U.S. law, international humanitarian law, and the laws of armed conflict. In a speech on February 13, Senator Chris Van Hollen accused the Israeli government of committing war crimes in Gaza, stating, "Kids in Gaza are now dying from the deliberate withholding of food. That is a war crime. It is a textbook war crime. And that makes those who orchestrate it war criminals." On March 9, Senator Bernie Sanders criticized members of Congress, stating, "It is absurd to criticise Netanyahu's war in one breath and provide another $10bn to continue that war in the next."

Within the Biden administration

As of 7 January 2024, two officials from the Biden administration—Josh Paul and Tariq Habash, working on arms sale at the state department and policy adviser at the department of education respectively—have resigned in opposition to US support to Israel's war efforts. A letter was signed by more than a dozen Biden campaign staffers calling for condition of US support to Israel and a ceasefire. Paul told The Guardian that the administration is witnessing "pretty extraordinary levels of dissent." On 2 February 2024, a group of 800 U.S. and European officials signed an open letter stating their governments' policies were weakening their nations' "moral standing." In March 2024, another state department staffer working on human rights resigned over the war.

Muslim and Arab Americans

Amongst the Muslim and Arab American communities, there was strong backlash to US support of Israel, with some vowing to abstain from supporting Biden in the 2024 presidential election. Palestinian-Americans with family in Gaza were reportedly "pleading with the U.S. government to evacuate their family members." Some, including former-Congressman Justin Amash, reported the death of family members from Israeli airstrikes. American citizens stuck in Gaza also criticized the United States government's response to the conflict. In a meeting with Biden's campaign chair Julie Chávez Rodriguez, the publisher of ''Arab American News'' reportedly told her, "If this man wants our vote, he has to do more than Jesus Christ – bring a lot more dead back to life. Thousands of people's blood is on his hands." In response to late-February 2024 reports that Biden again planned to veto a UN resolution for a ceasefire, the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights stated, "Our government is beyond evil."

During the Michigan Democratic primary, Biden received less than a quarter of the vote in predominantly Arab areas in Dearborn.
In 2024, Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud declined an invitation to meet with Biden campaign officials prior to the 2024 United States presidential election, due to the Biden administration's stance on the Israel-Hamas war. On Super Tuesday, nearly 20% of voters in Minnesota voted uncommitted in protest of Biden's Gaza policies. In March 2024, a coalition of Muslim and Palestinian organizations from Chicago refused a meeting with the Biden campaign, stating, "There is no point in more meetings".

Internal public opinion

Public opinion in the United States has quickly grown increasingly against the U.S. government's support for the actions of the current Israeli government.

In a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on November 15, 2023, 32% of respondents said that the U.S. should support Israel, 39% said that the U.S. should be a neutral mediator, 4% said that the U.S. should support Palestinians, and 15% said the U.S. shouldn't be involved at all.

In a Gallup poll released on November 30, 2023, 50% of the U.S. respondents approved of Israel's military action in Gaza, and 45% disapproved. In November 2023, the Jewish Election Institute found that 74% of Jewish American registered voters approved of the Biden administration's handling of the war.

In a Data for Progress poll released on December 5, 2023, 61% of likely voters, including a majority of Democrats (76%) and Independents (57%) and a plurality of Republicans (49%), supported the U.S. calling for a permanent ceasefire and a de-escalation of violence in Gaza; 83% of Democrats, 74% of Independents, and 63% of Republicans supported sending food, water, and medical supplies to people in Gaza; 77% of Democrats, 63% of Independents, and 55% of Republicans supported ensuring that people in Gaza have reliable access to fuel and electricity; and 63% of voters, including 65% of those under age 45, agreed with the statement that “The U.S. should hold its ally Israel to a high standard and only provide military aid to Israel if they meet our standards for human rights."

In a The New York Times/ Siena College poll released on December 19, 2023, 44 percent of voters said that Israel should stop its military campaign to protect against civilian casualties, and 39 percent said that Israel should continue its military campaign even if it means that civilian casualties in Gaza mount. 57% of voters said that they disapproved of President Biden's handling of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, whereas 33% approved.

In a The Economist/YouGov poll released on January 24, 2024, 35% of U.S. adults agreed that Israel's military campaign against Palestinians amounts to genocide, 36% disagreed, and 29% were undecided. Among U.S. cirizens aged 18-29, 49% of those surveyed agreed that Israel is committing genocide, with 24% disagreeing, and 27% uncertain.

In an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll released on February 2, 2024, 50% of U.S. adults said that the military response from Israel in the Gaza Strip had gone too far, whereas 31% said that it had "been about right", and 15% thought that it had "not gone far enough".

As of February 25, 2024, over 70 cities in the United States have voted for a ceasefire.

In a Gallup poll released on March 4, 2024, positive opinions of Israel had dropped from 64% to 38% amongst young people aged 18 to 34. Overall, 58% of Americans had a positive view of Israel.

In a Center for Economic and Policy Research poll released on March 5, 2024, 52% of U.S. citizens supported ending arms transfers to Israel. 62% of Democrats supported halting arms sales, while 14% disagreed, whereas 30% of Republicans supported the measure, and 55% opposed it.

In a Gallup Poll released on March 27, 2024, 55% of the responders disapproved of Israel's military action in Gaza, 36% approved, and 9% had no opinion.

Israeli officials

Some Israeli government members believed that Biden's support for Israel was not strong enough. In an interview with the ''Wall Street Journal'', Israel's Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir stated, "Instead of giving us his full backing, Biden is busy with giving humanitarian aid and fuel o Gaza which goes to Hamas. If Trump was in power, the U.S. conduct would be completely different." Israel's Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich stated Biden was involved in an anti-Semitic lie for issuing sanctions against violent West Bank settlers. Following comments by Biden in March 2024 that Israel's killing of civilians was "hurting Israel more than helping", the Israeli prime minister Netanyahu stated this was "false" and "wrong". After a speech by Chuck Schumer calling for new elections after the war, Likud released a statement, saying, "Senator Schumer is expected to respect Israel's elected government and not undermine it. This is always true and even more so in wartime."

On 27 March, Ben-Gvir stated, "Biden prefers the line of Rashida Tlaib and Sinwar to the line of Benjamin Netanyahu and Ben-Gvir. I would have expected the president of the United States not to take their line, but rather to take ours."

Human rights issues

The United Nations General Assembly on October 27 voted a non-binding resolution calling for a humanitarian ceasefire to enable relief to enter Gaza; the United States stood with Israel in rejecting the proposal. The previous week, Washington had vetoed a resolution similar to this one at the more powerful UN Security Council.

Progressive Democrats argue that the $14.3 billion package the White House has promised Israel violates the Leahy Act because most of the victims of Israel's retaliatory attack on Gaza are civilians.
The act forbids the US State and Defence departments from providing security support to foreign governments that are suspected of violating human rights.
The act's proponents refer to the increasing number of Gaza residents losing their lives as a result of military operations, the forced relocation of over a million people, and the escalating humanitarian situation following Israeli authorities' cuts to the region's supplies of fuel, food, water, and electricity.
Congressman Andre Carson of Indiana wrote to the Guardian, accusing Israel of "war crimes" and citing the Israeli Defence Forces' (IDF) alleged use of white phosphorus and this week's deadly bombing of the Jabalia refugee camp. "I am very concerned that our taxpayer dollars may be used for violations of human rights," Carson wrote.
The Biden administration declared earlier this week that it was not imposing any restrictions on Israel's use of the US-supplied weapons. According to Pentagon spokesman Sabrina Singh, "That is really up to the Israel Defense Force to use in how they are going to conduct their operations... But we’re not putting any constraints on that."
Usamah Andrabi, Justice Democrats' director of communications – said “I think the Leahy Act should absolutely be looked into right now, when we are seeing gross violations of human rights,” he said. “he Israelisare targeting refugee camps, hospitals, mosques all under the guise of self-defense or that one or other member of Hamas is hiding there. It doesn't matter whether Hamas is there or not, because you are targeting civilians. No amount of tax dollars should be justified for that.”
Like Carson, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, particularly mentioned the alleged use of white phosphorus, as asserted by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch (HRW), as a violation that should bar Israel from getting aid from the US. "Deployment of white phosphorus near populated civilian areas is a war crime," she said.

Following the veto of another resolution in the UN Council on December 8, international human rights organizations issued the following statement: "By continuing to provide Israel with weapons nddiplomatic cover as it commits atrocities, including collectively punishing the Palestinian civilian population in Gaza, the US risks complicity in war crimes."

Alleged complicity in genocide

Some scholars believe that America is complicit in an alleged genocide committed by Israel against the Palestinians. Lawyers of the Center for Constitutional Rights