*

Senate vote on blocking arms sales to Israel expected

Wednesday

*

Resolutions unlikely to pass due to strong bipartisan

support

for Israel

*

Biden administration sees progress in aid flow to Gaza,

aid

groups disagree

(Updates timing of vote in first paragraph, adds co-sponsors

and descriptions of munitions in paragraph 5)

By Patricia Zengerle

WASHINGTON, Nov 18 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate is due to

vote on Wednesday on legislation that would block arms sales to

Israel, backed by lawmakers who say Israel is obstructing aid

shipments desperately needed by Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

The "resolutions of disapproval" were filed by Senator

Bernie Sanders, an independent who caucuses with Democrats.

Strong bipartisan support for Israel means the resolutions are

not expected to pass, but backers hope they will encourage

Israel's government and President Joe Biden's administration to

do more to protect civilians in Gaza.

Most of Gaza's population of 2.3 million people has been

displaced and the enclave is at risk of famine. Gaza health

officials say more than 43,922 Palestinians have been killed in

Israel's 13-month-old offensive.

Two of the resolutions, co-sponsored with Democratic

Senators Jeff Merkley and Peter Welch, would block the sale of

120 mm mortar rounds and joint direct attack munitions (JDAMS).

A third, sponsored by Democratic Senator Brian Schatz, would

block the sale of tank rounds.

JDAM tail kits, which convert a standard unguided bomb using

fins and a GPS guidance system into a guided weapon, are made by

Boeing ( BA ).

"This war has been conducted almost entirely with American

weapons and $18 billion in U.S. taxpayer dollars. Israel has

dropped U.S.-provided 2,000-pound bombs into crowded

neighborhoods, killed hundreds of civilians to take out a

handful of Hamas fighters, and made little effort to distinguish

between civilians and combatants," Sanders said in a statement.

"These actions are immoral and illegal," he said.

Biden, whose term ends in January, has strongly backed

Israel since Hamas-led gunmen attacked in October 2023, killing

1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages, according to

Israeli tallies.

The Biden administration in October told Israel that it had

30 days to improve the flow of aid to Gaza or risk consequences

to U.S. military aid.

After that period, Washington said on Nov. 12 it concluded

that Israel had made progress and was not currently impeding

assistance to Gaza. Many aid groups disagreed.

Israel says it has been working to address humanitarian

needs and the main problem with aid deliveries was U.N.

distribution challenges.

Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen on Monday said he

supported the joint resolutions of disapproval, as did

Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren last week.

U.S. law gives Congress the right to stop major foreign

weapons sales by passing resolutions of disapproval. Although no

such resolution has both passed Congress and survived a

presidential veto, the law requires the Senate to vote if a

resolution is filed. Such resolutions have at times led to angry

debates embarrassing to past presidents.