By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Two resolutions that would have blocked arms sales to Israel in response to civilian casualties in Gaza were blocked in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday, although they garnered more support than similar measures earlier this year.

The Senate voted down measures from Sen. Bernie Sanders to block weapons sales to Israel on Wednesday night, but he and others long opposed to Israel's military campaign in Gaza were celebrating the result as a victory nonetheless.

But by Thursday, Trump was back in a familiar role—not only defending Israel but explicitly linking his economic policies to continued support for it. “Wow!,” Trump posted on his social-media site, “Canada has just announced that it is backing statehood for Palestine.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Israel on Thursday to discuss the disintegrating humanitarian situation in Gaza, as the U.S. imposed new sanctions on officials from the Western-backed Palestinian Authority.

Slovenia on Friday became the first European country to ban weapons trading with Israel over the growing humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian enclave in Israel's ongoing war.