U.S. Rep. Albio Sires (D-8) is condemning the attacks in Israel by Hamas, stating they are “a terrorist organization that imperils the lives of both Palestinian and Israeli civilians when it initiates violence.”
“I condemn the attacks by Hamas on Israel in the strongest possible terms. It is a terrorist organization that imperils the lives of both Palestinian and Israeli civilians when it initiates violence,” Sires said in a statement this afternoon.
“Israel should take the necessary action to prevent further attacks from Hamas, and the United States must continue its efforts supporting the Jewish people, whose freedom and humanity have long been rejected. I remain committed to supporting the security of Israel and innocent people on both sides of the conflict. I recognize that the only path forward for long-term peace and stability in the region is a two-state solution.”
Sires continued that Israel, that every other nation, has the right to self-defense, but precautions should be taken to prevent Palestinian civilian casualties.
“As the civilian death toll climbs, I implore the political and military leaders of Israel and Palestine to cease their rapidly escalating attacks and use diplomatic negotiations to end this violence,” he concluded.
House Democrats are currently split on how to handle the military crisis, as the New York Post reported, with U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) tweeting that Israeli airstrikes in Gaza “is an act of terrorism.”
The progressive wing of the party has a view more consistent with Omar’s, while President Joe Biden, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) have taken a stance similar to that of Sires.
“One of the things that I have seen, thus far, is that there has not been a significant overreaction. The question is, how we get to a point where — they get to a point where there is a significant reduction in the attacks, particularly the rocket attacks that are indiscriminately fired into population centers,” Biden said earlier today, according to CNN.
Additionally, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) tweeted that “government-allied right wing extremists in Jerusalem” could cause this situation to turn into a full-scale war.
The Associated Press reported that 122 people have been killed in Gaza, including 31 children, with 900 wounded to date.