WASHINGTON, May 14 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement after more than 50 Palestinians were killed and 2,200 wounded by Israeli troops along the border fence with Gaza:

“More than 50 killed in Gaza today and 2,000 wounded, on top of the 41 killed and more than 9,000 wounded over the past weeks. This is a staggering toll. Hamas violence does not justify Israel firing on unarmed protesters. The United States must play an aggressive role in bringing Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Egypt and the international community together to address Gaza’s humanitarian crisis and stop this escalating violence.”

Sanders will hold a town hall tonight at 7 PM ET to address how Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal will impact tensions in the Middle East. Press can RSVP to attend in person here and watch live here.