“Kids in Gaza are now dying from the deliberate withholding of food,” Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) delivered a stirring speech on Monday accusing Israel of “war crimes” before voting to send the country $14 billion in military aid.

“He has just confessed to being a war criminal,” author Robert Fantina wryly noted, responding to Van Hollen’s rhetoric during an appearance on Sputnik’s The Critical Hour program.

“He's stated how what's happening is starvation,” the journalist added. “Children are starving to death. This is just… horrible and it's a war crime, and he has chosen to finance it,” Fantina emphasized.

The withholding of food from Gazans isn’t the only Israeli war crime being discussed in recent days, with National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir reportedly calling for Palestinian women and children approaching Gaza’s border to be shot on sight during a contentious meeting with the IDF chief of staff Sunday.

“The Israelis have done this before a few years ago, when Palestinians were protesting at the border, [part of] peaceful protests for the Right of Return, and they were shot,” Fantina added, referring to the massive demonstrations documented in independent journalist Abby Martin’s film Gaza Fights for Freedom. “Many were killed, medics were targeted – all in violation of international law on war crimes."