Senators Question US Role in Israel’s Lebanon Evacuation Zones Amid $21 Billion Aid

TL;DR: Twelve U.S. senators have asked CENTCOM for a full accounting of any American support for Israel’s evacuation zones in Lebanon, warning that the campaign may breach international humanitarian law.

The letter, signed by Democrats including Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Peter Welch, was sent to Central Command head Brad Cooper on Monday and released publicly Thursday. It focuses on Israel’s systematic displacement of civilians in southern Lebanon, a strategy the senators say mirrors the tactics used in Gaza.

Senators argue that declaring “evacuation zones” to permanently depopulate towns and demolish homes violates the humanitarian rules the United States helped craft. They ask whether U.S. forces have provided refueling, intelligence or other assistance that enabled Israel to impose these zones, and whether any such support contravenes U.S. law or international agreements.

The inquiry comes as Washington has poured more than $21 billion in direct military aid into Israel since the Gaza war began in October 2023. Sanders quoted Israel’s defense minister, who warned that southern Lebanon’s fate will be “the same as Gaza,” citing 2,702 deaths, 1.6 million displaced and dozens of villages destroyed. Sanders called for an end to U.S. military aid to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.

Centrist Senator Chris Coons, a known Israel supporter, also signed the letter, underscoring bipartisan concern over the legal and moral implications of the displacement campaign. The senators’ questions extend to potential U.S. intelligence sharing that could aid Israel’s targeting of civilian areas, and whether such sharing violates existing intelligence‑sharing agreements.

The push aligns with a broader congressional effort, including Representative Rashida Tlaib’s War Powers resolution aimed at halting U.S. involvement in the Lebanese assault. President Donald Trump, who is brokering talks between Israel and Lebanon, has pledged to “make Lebanon great again” but has taken little visible action to curb Israeli demolition efforts.

If CENTCOM’s response confirms any level of U.S. logistical or intelligence support, the administration could face heightened scrutiny over compliance with the War Powers Act and the laws of armed conflict. Conversely, a denial may shift the debate toward the broader policy of unconditional aid to Israel.

Watch for the upcoming CENTCOM briefing and the next round of U.S.–Israel–Lebanon negotiations slated for Washington next week.