Legislation introduced in the U.S. Senate on Jan. 14 would create a global sanctions framework targeting foreign government officials accused of obstructing humanitarian aid, with provisions that single out Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government over conditions in Gaza.
S. 3634, informally titled the Accountability for Withholding Aid and Relief Essentials Act of 2026, claims that the Netanyahu administration “has heavily restricted the distribution of food, fuel, medicine and other humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza,” citing Doctors Without Borders and other “credible nongovernmental organizations.”
The bill also claims “tens of thousands of preschool-aged children in Gaza were suffering from preventable acute malnutrition and faced an increased risk of mortality” and that the entire population of the Gaza Strip “is facing acute levels of hunger,” citing the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
While the legislation condemns Hamas “in the harshest terms” for its brutal terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, it asserts that the “vast majority of men, women and especially children in Gaza are civilians and not agents of Hamas.”
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), the bill’s lead sponsor, stated that the “United States must send a clear message to Benjamin Netanyahu.”
“If you are complicit in denying humanitarian assistance to Palestinians or others in need, you will face personal consequences,” Wyden, who is Jewish, wrote.
If enacted, S. 3634 would require the U.S. president to submit a report, within 90 days and then annually, identifying foreign “covered persons” determined to be violating U.S. policy by undermining humanitarian assistance.
Those designated would face mandatory diplomatic sanctions, including U.S. visa ineligibility and inadmissibility, and could also be subject to financial sanctions blocking property and interests under U.S. jurisdiction.
