Rep. Casten. U.S. House bill seeks to restrict defense articles in West Bank and Gaza

The new bill authored by U.S. Rep. Sean Casten in the U.S. House aims to condition the use of U.S. defense articles on compliance with humanitarian and diplomatic standards, according to the U.S. Congress.

H.R.7645 was introduced on Feb. 23, 2026 during the 2026 regular session of the 119th Congress. The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill prohibits the use of United States-origin defense articles in the West Bank and Gaza unless certain conditions regarding Israeli military operations and humanitarian access are met. It requires the Secretary of State to certify every 90 days that Israel is complying with conditions related to military actions, humanitarian aid facilitation, and avoidance of annexation efforts. Additionally, an end-use monitoring group will be established to report on the use of U.S. defense articles in these regions. If Israel violates the conditions, the sale and transfer of such articles will be prohibited. The bill also supports the establishment of a transitional Palestinian governance structure in Gaza and aims to facilitate peace efforts while ensuring that U.S. foreign policy objectives in the region are maintained. The provisions will remain in effect for five years from the enactment date.

The bill was introduced by Rep. Sean Casten (Democrat-IL-6th District) and co-sponsored by Rep. Donald S. Beyer (Democrat-IL-8th District), Rep. Becca Balint (Democrat-IL), and Rep. Joaquin Castro (Democrat-IL-20th District), along with 22 other sponsors.

Since the beginning of the current session, Rep. Casten has introduced another 35 bills.

Congressional bills can originate in either the U.S. House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate, except for revenue-related measures, which must begin in the House. After introduction, bills are assigned to committees for review, hearings, amendments and debate before they can advance to a vote in each chamber. If both chambers approve identical versions, the legislation is sent to the president, who may sign it into law or veto it. Congress operates in two-year terms, with each term numbered sequentially and divided into two annual sessions. The legislative process and official bill records are maintained by the U.S. Congress and published through Congress.gov.

Sean Casten is a Representative from Illinois, elected as a Democrat to the One Hundred Sixteenth and to the three succeeding Congresses, with service beginning January 3, 2019. He holds a B.A. from Middlebury College and both an M.S. and M.E.M. from Dartmouth College.