US lawmakers pass amendment to censor number of Palestinians killed by Israel

The US House of Representatives passed an amendment on Thursday that prohibits government officials from reporting the number of Palestinians killed by Israel in the Gaza Strip.

The amendment prevents the government from using funds from the international affairs budget to disclose any information on the death toll in the enclave, where an Israeli military offensive has claimed the lives of at least 37,765 people since October 7.

The House approved the amendment to the appropriations bill for the State Department with a vote of 269 to 144.

Though representatives from the Democratic party co-sponsored the amendment, it received overwhelming support from Republicans.

The appropriations bill must still pass the Senate, where its fate is uncertain. If approved, this policy will effectively endorse the denial of Palestinian deaths as official US policy.

The US government has repeatedly denied evidence that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. For years, America has provided $3.3 billion annually in security aid to Israel, along with additional military support during the ongoing military assault on Gaza.

Children in Gaza have faced extreme brutality, with 20,000 missing, 14,000 killed, and many bodies unidentifiable due to severe injuries, according to Save the Children.

In its latest report, a UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry (COI) on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, stated that Israel has forcibly displaced at least 1.7 million Palestinians and highlighted the extensive fatalities and destruction caused by Israeli actions.

The report noted that Israeli forces deliberately targeted civilians and damaged property to exert pressure on Hamas fighters.