I'm calling for a lasting bilateral ceasefire in Gaza.
It's painful to witness the human tragedies of the war between Israel and Hamas. While this is a war between Israel and Hamas, the United States should identify and push for conditions that will make a lasting bilateral ceasefire possible. These conditions include:
- A release of all hostages
- Durable security for Israel
- An end of Hamas' control of Gaza
Lasting peace will require a commitment to both economic and humanitarian aid to rebuild Gaza after the war. And, it will require negotiations toward a democratic Palestinian state with full and equal rights for its citizens.
I have long said that durable peace will require a two-state solution and a democratic Palestinian government free from Hamas. Prime Minister Nethanyahu's recent comments rejecting Palestinian governance of Gaza are especially concerning, as they undermine our country's longstanding position that a two-state solution is necessary to achieve enduring peace for both Israelis and Palestinians.
The situation is dire and requires an end to hostilities that threaten to worsen this conflict's already appalling loss of Palestinian and Israeli lives. Hamas has allowed Palestinians in Gaza to suffer shortages of food, clean water, fuel, and medicine for years. The current war caused by Hamas' terrorism has made an already terrible situation for Palestinian civilians so much worse. The rising death toll of Palestinian civilians from infectious diseases and the lack of food, water, and medicine highlight the escalation of this tragedy.
Now, the Biden Administration must encourage a lasting bilateral ceasefire that brings remaining hostages home, secures Israel's safety, removes Hamas from operational control of Gaza, and invests in creating a better economic and political architecture for Palestinians in Gaza.
In this painful time, we must acknowledge heart-wrenching losses but not give up hope for a better future.
Katie Porter
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