Senator Bernie Sanders (Independent-Vermont) said in an interview with CNN on Sunday that he doesn't know if a ceasefire with "an organization like" Hamas is possible.
Sanders a prominent American Senator and one-time US presidential candidate gave an interview to CNN on the current war with Hamas.
CNN pressed the senator on several topics relating to the war. When asked whether he was in favor of a ceasefire he answered "Well I don't know how you can have a permanent ceasefire with an organization like Hamas, which is dedicated to turmoil and chaos and destroying the State of Israel."
Sanders begins the interview with a clear and direct statement "Hamas slaughtered 1,400 people in cold blood, Israel has a right to defend itself."
"What Israel does not have a right to do is kill thousands of innocent men, women, and children who had nothing to do with that attack," he clarified.
Humanitarian disaster
"The immediate concern is we've got to stop the bombing now," he continued with "There's not enough water, there's not enough food, there's not enough medicine, there's not enough fuel. You got a humanitarian disaster, it has to be dealt with right now."
When asked how to provide more aid if Hamas would hoard it, he responded by saying "It's not just that Hamas are hoarding it, they are. It's also Israel's policy. So it's a combination of factors."
When asked "How should Israel destroy Hamas post-attack, without hurting/killing innocent men, women, and children, when Hamas is hiding behind them and putting them in danger?"
He answered by saying "That is exactly the right question to ask the military experts of which I am not one."
"But clearly Israel has a right to defend itself. Hamas has sworn to destroy Israel, they gotta [sic] deal with that. But there's gotta [sic] be a better way than killing thousands of innocents."
His immediate concern is achieving a pause in the bombing to deal with the humanitarian disaster, simply saying "Israel's gotta [sic] change its strategy."
Citing the nearly $4 billion in military aid the US gives Israel he said "Israel can do what they want they're an independent country, but we have a right to say sorry you need a new military strategy. Go after Hamas, but do not kill innocent men, women, and children."