The US House of Representatives passed a bipartisan amendment preventing the government from acknowledging the death toll of Palestinians in Gaza killed by Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF).

 

The amendment, which passed with a 269-144 vote, prohibits the State Department from using international affairs budget funds to cite statistics from Gaza’s Health Ministry.

 

The vote, supported by 62 Democrats and 207 Republicans, now heads to the Senate for consideration.

 

If enacted, it would bar the US government from mentioning that “Israeli” actions have resulted in the deaths of at least 37,765 Palestinians and injuries to 86,429 others during the ongoing nine-month offensive in Gaza.

 

Critics argue that this amendment aims to suppress facts about the scale of “Israel’s” aggression in Gaza.

 

Palestinian-American Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib condemned the move in a passionate speech to the House. She asserted that since 1948, there has been a coordinated effort, particularly within Congress, to dehumanize and erase Palestinians.

 

“My colleagues want to prohibit our own US officials from even citing the Palestinian death toll,” she stated. “But Palestinians are not just numbers. It’s absolutely disgusting. This is genocide denial.”

 

Observers and human rights advocates have also denounced the vote as a means of censoring facts related to the IOF’s actions and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. They argue that this amendment represents a broader attempt to stifle criticism of the Israeli Occupation and its alleged war crimes.