Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., said Friday that it would be “appropriate” to condition future aid to Israel if Israeli leadership does not “do better” in preventing civilian deaths in Gaza.
“We never want to see innocent women, children and elderly people being killed. This has been happening at a very high rate here,” Kelly told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” in a pre-recorded interview that aired Sunday.
“I’ve talked to the ambassador — Israel’s ambassador, Michael Herzog — about this specifically: If we don’t see some changes, I think it’s appropriate to put conditions on some of this aid,” Kelly added, speaking just weeks after both chambers of Congress had approved a foreign aid package that included $26 billion in assistance to Israel.
“They are getting more help,” Kelly said, but added that the Israeli military also needs more targeted munitions, such as “JDAM kits for Mark 80 series weapons, the type of weapons I used to launch into combat in Iraq. “
He added: “If we see the same level of civilian casualties [after that]That’s a big concern of mine.”
Kelly linked his concerns about civilian casualties to growing concerns from aid groups around the world that humanitarian conditions in Gaza are becoming increasingly difficult.
In a separate interview with “Meet the Press,” World Food Program Executive Director Cindy McCain told moderator Kristen Welker: “There is hunger – total hunger – in the north [of Gaza]and it’s moving south.”
Kelly, who said he has spoken to McCain “a lot about this,” said he will “continue to address the issue and pressure the Israelis to do better. If they do better, that will also allow the option of more food aid coming in.”
“If the Israelis can do better on the battlefield, reduce civilian casualties, make fewer mistakes – or if the goal is not to make mistakes – in the way they do this, that would help get food aid to innocent Palestinians,” he added. .
Welker also asked Kelly about the issue of abortion access in her state, where lawmakers and Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs just repealed the 1864 abortion ban. Due to some quirks in Arizona state law, the ban could still come in. in force for a time despite the repeal.
“I think women in Arizona have had a really hard time,” Kelly told Welker before placing the blame for Arizona’s ban squarely on former President Donald Trump.
“This is all his fault, that women in the state of Arizona don’t have the rights they previously had,” Kelly said.
“What we really need is national legislation to codify a woman’s right to make these decisions,” Kelly added, before agreeing that he would be in favor of repealing the filibuster to codify abortion rights into federal law.
Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, there have been no federal standards for abortion, but President Joe Biden has called for codifying the standards that Roe established in 1973. To do so, Democrats would have to gain control of the Senate and the House and elect Biden to a second term. Still, very little legislation passes the Senate without the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster.
The likelihood of Democrats winning 60 seats in the Senate is almost nil, so the other alternative is for 50 senators to agree to make an exception to the filibuster on abortion legislation.
“I feel like we’re going to maintain control of the Senate [after the election]. And I think for issues like this, whether it’s choice or voting rights, I think it’s appropriate to reconsider what we need to do to get these things to the finish line,” the senator said.
Despite his confidence in maintaining control of the upper house of Congress, Kelly said he was “very concerned” that Trump would try to overturn the presidential election results if he doesn’t win Arizona’s Electoral College votes.
His comments came after the state attorney general last month indicted several former Trump aides for their alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election there.
“I trust our judicial system that they will go through a process. And either way, we all have to accept what this process is,” Kelly said.
This story originally appeared on NBCNews.com read the full story
