Some US Democratic Party lawmakers have renewed their calls for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, which has been subjected to a continuous Israeli aggression since October 7, which has so far led to the martyrdom of more than 40,000 Palestinians, most of whom are women and children.
The lawmakers’ call comes after six Israeli prisoners – one of them an American citizen – were killed in a tunnel in the Gaza Strip, in an incident for which Hamas blamed Israel.
Democratic U.S. Senator Dick Durbin said in a post on Twitter that he was “heartbroken and shocked” by the news of the killing of Israeli-American Goldberg Polin.
“A ceasefire must be reached immediately that allows for the release of all remaining hostages, the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, and the transformation of a vision of peace and stability into reality,” Durbin stressed, describing that vision as elusive and long neglected.
A White House official said President Joe Biden spoke with Goldberg Pauline’s parents to offer condolences.
Another US official revealed that US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan will hold a remote meeting today, Sunday, with the families of American-Israeli prisoners held by Hamas.
Jonathan Dekel Chen, Sagoi’s father, another US citizen, said Benjamin Netanyahu’s government had refused to enter into negotiations with Hamas to return the hostages and that time was running out.
“The entire senior military establishment and the intelligence community have been saying publicly and explicitly for weeks and months that it is time to end the fighting in Gaza, bring our hostages home and bring back as many of them alive as possible,” he added.
In contrast, Republicans criticized President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for “not providing stronger support for Israel.”
“They continue to embolden and embolden Hamas” by calling for a ceasefire, said Republican Senator Tom Cotton.
In a related context, CNN quoted a statement by the families of the American detainees in Gaza, demanding that Netanyahu conclude a deal with Hamas and return the prisoners.
“The chances of bringing our children back alive are seriously jeopardized as time goes on,” they said.
The Israeli army announced this morning, Sunday, that it had found the bodies of 6 prisoners in a tunnel in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip.