US Senator Sanders calls Israeli minister 'war criminal'

The independent Vermont senator, who caucuses with Democrats, lashed out at Ben-Gvir following the minister's social media post on Friday demanding that "all of Lebanon must burn" after the Israeli army reported four soldiers killed in southern Lebanon. "This is not a normal statement from a normal cabinet member of a major nation," Sanders said in a statement. "This statement from Israeli National Security Minister Ben-Gvir is the statement of a war criminal," he added, arguing that the current administration in Jerusalem should receive no American backing.

Minister's defiant stance

Ben-Gvir issued his controversial remarks on the US platform X, insisting that Israel must respond forcefully to the casualties despite international pressure. "With all due respect to the Americans, Israel must make it clear to the entire world that the blood of our sons and the security of our citizens are not forfeit," the minister wrote. "All of Lebanon must burn," he added, reiterating his hardline position on the conflict.

Diplomatic monitoring

A US official said Monday that Washington has established a real-time monitoring mechanism through its military's Central Command to track fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. The disclosure came as Iran and the US completed 18 hours of negotiations in Switzerland on Sunday under Pakistani and Qatari mediation to discuss unresolved provisions of the agreement signed the previous week, including the cessation of hostilities on all fronts.

Israel's military offensive in Lebanon has killed more than 4,000 people, injured over 12,000 others, and displaced over 1 million residents since March 2, according to Lebanese authorities. The figures emerged as Washington and Tehran held extended negotiations over the weekend aimed at resolving outstanding provisions of their recently signed agreement.