Israeli Defense Chief Fires Back at Bernie Sanders for ‘Learning Nothing’ After Hamas Atrocities

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz slammed Sen. Bernie Sanders’ misleading claims, after the progressive Vermont senator falsely accused Israel of committing a war crime by blocking aid to Gaza.

On Monday, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) claimed that no humanitarian aid has entered Gaza for 51 days and cited Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz as admitting to a total blockade, calling it “a war crime.” 

“We must end our complicity,” Sanders added. “NO more military aid for Netanyahu’s war machine.”

In response, Katz issued a sharply worded statement on Tuesday rejecting the Senator’s characterization. 

“Contrary to the Senator’s statement, Israel is acting in full accordance with international law,” Katz said, noting that Israel continues to monitor the humanitarian situation in Gaza and that aid has been delivered in “large quantities.”

The Israeli official warned that aid must bypass Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, which he said diverts supplies to sustain its terror infrastructure. 

“It is unfortunate that the honorable Senator has learned nothing from the lessons of October 7,” Katz added, referencing the day Hamas terrorists launched a deadly cross-border assault on Israel, killing over 1,200 people and abducting more than 250.

Katz emphasized Israel’s stance that Hamas must never again control Gaza or endanger Israeli civilians again, citing the group’s brutality. 

“A terrorist organization that openly calls for the annihilation of the State of Israel and the Jewish people — and which brutally murdered the Bibas children even during captivity, simply because they were Jewish — must never be allowed to rule Gaza or endanger Israel and the free world again,” he stated.

“It is the responsibility of Israel’s leadership and of the Israeli people to ensure such horrors are never repeated — and that is exactly what we are doing,” he added.

Katz closed by expressing his appreciation to the U.S., calling it “our great friend,” while thanking American leaders for “understanding the reality on the ground” amid what he labeled “hypocrisy” from certain international voices.

The matter comes amid mounting international pressure on Israel to allow greater aid access into Gaza. Israeli officials argue that Hamas routinely hijacks aid deliveries for its own benefit, a concern supported by U.S. lawmakers and aid groups operating in the region.

A Wall Street Journal investigation recently confirmed that Hamas stole humanitarian supplies intended for civilians in Gaza and resold it to finance its terror operations — a finding that further undermines international law claims against Israel and highlights Hamas’s systematic exploitation of relief efforts.

“It was outrageous that the Biden Administration forced deliveries of aid to Hamas in the first place,” responded Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, blasting the policy as reckless.

On Monday, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee rejected pressure from the World Health Organization to force Israeli concessions, urging the international community to instead demand that Hamas “sign an agreement so that humanitarian aid can flow into Gaza to the people who desperately need it.”

Last month, Eli Sharabi, a former hostage held by Hamas, delivered powerful testimony before the UN Security Council exposing how the terror group stole foreign aid and brutalized civilians during captivity.

The humanitarian crisis in Gaza remains closely tied to Hamas’s continued control, raising concerns that international pressure on Israel — instead of demands for oversight and accountability from Hamas — could compromise aid efforts.

Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.