Washington, D.C. – November 14, 2025 – Democratic Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib has introduced a landmark resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives calling on the United States to officially recognize Israel’s military assault on Gaza as a genocide. The resolution, co-sponsored by 20 other Democratic lawmakers, calls for sanctions against Israel and urges investigations into war crimes and human rights violations in the Palestinian territory.

Key Details of the Congressional Resolution

The resolution asserts that Israel has committed acts of genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza and calls for:

• Ending U.S. transfers of weapons suspected of being used to commit atrocities.
• Facilitating domestic investigations and legal proceedings against perpetrators.
• Imposing targeted, lawful sanctions on Israel.

Prominent co-sponsors include Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, rising progressive leaders like Ro Khanna, and Gen Z Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost, signaling growing bipartisan attention to the Gaza crisis.

Timing Amid U.S. Military Aid Debate

The proposal comes as the 10-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) providing Israel with $3.8 billion in U.S. military aid annually is set to expire next year. Over the past two years, the U.S. has provided more than $21 billion in additional aid to Israel to support its military campaign in Gaza, fueling debate over future assistance.

Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza

Israel’s offensive in Gaza has resulted in over 69,000 Palestinian deaths, including at least 20,000 children, while the majority of the territory has been reduced to rubble. The Israeli blockade has restricted food, fuel, and medical supplies, causing widespread famine and humanitarian suffering.

Even after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire last month, Israel has reportedly continued airstrikes and restricted essential aid to Gaza, prolonging the humanitarian crisis.

Tlaib, who is of Palestinian descent, emphasized that the genocide is ongoing:

“Since the so-called ‘ceasefire’ was announced, Israeli forces haven’t stopped killing Palestinians. Impunity only enables more atrocity.”

International Recognition and Support

United Nations investigators and leading human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Israel’s B’Tselem, have concluded that Israel’s actions in Gaza meet the criteria for genocide under the 1948 UN Genocide Convention. Genocide is defined as acts committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial, or religious group.

Tlaib’s resolution cites public statements by Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog, advocating collective punishment and mass violence against Palestinians.

Congressional and Public Response

While the resolution has limited chances of passing in the Republican-controlled House, it represents a significant step in bringing U.S. political attention to Gaza. Alongside the 21 House Democrats supporting the measure, Senator Bernie Sanders and Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene have also accused Israel of genocide.

Over 100 human rights organizations have endorsed Tlaib’s proposal, highlighting the resolution’s importance in advancing U.S. obligations under the Genocide Convention to prevent and punish crimes of genocide.

“This resolution is an important step toward recognizing Israel’s actions against Palestinians in Gaza for what they are – genocide,” said Elizabeth Rghebi, Middle East advocacy director at Amnesty International USA.

Significance

Recognition of genocide carries legal and moral implications under international law, potentially compelling the U.S. government to take concrete actions to stop atrocities and hold perpetrators accountable. The resolution also signals growing momentum among U.S. lawmakers to scrutinize military aid and foreign policy decisions in the Middle East.