Washington DC - Senator Tim Kaine has announced his support for a series of resolutions to block certain US offensive weapons transfers to Israel ahead of a planned vote on Wednesday.

"Since February, I have argued that the United States must prioritize the transfer of defensive weapons – such as those used to defeat drone and missile attacks – to Israel instead of offensive weapons that cause severe civilian harm in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon," Kaine said in a statement on Wednesday.

"Continued offensive weapons transfers will worsen the current crisis and add more fuel to the fire of regional instability," the Virginia Democrat continued. "Therefore, while I voted for the $14 billion defense aid package for Israel in April and continue to support the transfer of defensive weapons, I will vote to oppose the transfers of mortars, tank rounds, and Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs) to Israel."

The joint resolutions of disapproval, led by Senator Bernie Sanders, aim to obstruct the transfer of certain offensive military equipment to Israel worth around $20 billion.

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Israel – with billions of dollars in US military assistance – has slaughtered at least 43,985 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023, according to the territory's health ministry. The British medical journal Lancet and other experts believe the true number to be far greater, upwards of 186,000 as of July 2024.

Meanwhile, a brutal Israeli blockade on humanitarian aid has left many people in Gaza at extreme risk of disease and starvation.

Given the scale of suffering, Kaine said, "We must work toward de-escalation and a sustainable peace that provides for the safety and security of the Israeli, Palestinian and Lebanese people, and for U.S. servicemembers deployed throughout the region."

The joint resolutions of disapproval are expected to go to the Senate floor on Wednesday.

US law prohibits arms transfers to countries that are carrying out gross human rights violations and restricting American humanitarian assistance.

A CBS poll in June found that 61% of Americans believe the US should not send weapons and supplies to Israel.

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In addition to Kaine, six other senators have publicly said they support at least one of the measures up for a vote:

• Bernie Sanders (Independent-Vermont)
• Jeff Merkley (Democrat-Oregon)
• Peter Welch (Democrat-Vermont)
• Brian Schatz (Democrat-Hawaii)
• Elizabeth Warren (Democrat-Massachusetts)
• Chris Van Hollen (Democrat-Maryland)

"The resolutions I am offering today are simple: It is against the law for the U.S. to provide weapons to any country that is violating human rights or blocking U.S. humanitarian aid," Sanders said in an X post on Wednesday. "That is precisely what Netanyahu is doing in his savage war in Gaza. We must obey the law."