What happened
The US Senate has blocked a Democratic-led resolution that called for the State Department to report on the killings of Americans in the West Bank. The resolution, which was introduced by Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen, invoked a statute that would have forced the State Department to brief Congress on the killings and the treatment of Palestinians.
The resolution failed to pass with a vote of 47-51, largely along party lines. Only one Democrat, Senator John Fetterman, opposed the measure, while one Republican, Senator Rand Paul, supported it. The resolution would have required the State Department to report on the killings of Americans in the West Bank within 30 days.
According to reports, nine Americans have been killed in the West Bank since 2022, with no justice served. The resolution's supporters argued that it was necessary to ensure that recipients of US taxpayer dollars act in line with US laws and values. However, Republicans cast the resolution as a partisan strike at a wartime ally, with Senator Steve Daines urging his colleagues to vote against it.
The vote comes seven months after US and Israeli forces initiated a conflict with Iran, and just weeks before the US midterm elections. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is also facing an election on October 27.
