Vermont鈥檚 two U.S. senators to discuss the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
In the past month, Israeli airstrikes have killed thousands of Palestinians in Gaza, .
Israel has also in Gaza, and or food, water and fuel.
These actions are part of what Israel says is its effort to destroy Hamas. It's in response to a Hamas attack on Oct. 7 that in Israel. Hamas also took more than
In an interview Tuesday, Sen. Peter Welch told 开云体育 he thinks Israel鈥檚 focus should be more targeted attacks against identified Hamas leaders.
鈥淩ather than the destruction of infrastructure that's going to make any kind of normalcy impossible for the innocent Palestinians,鈥� he said.
On Monday, Welch and Sen. Bernie Sanders met with the head of the U.N. General Assembly, Ant贸nio Guterres, and representatives from Israel, Egypt and H.E. Riyad H. Mansour, the ambassador of the Permanent Observer Mission of the State of Palestine to the U.N.
Sanders separately spoke with U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield.
鈥淥ur goal remains to do everything we can to stop the indiscriminate bombing which has caused massive civilian casualties, bring in desperately needed humanitarian aid, and protect innocent people in Gaza,鈥� Welch and Sanders said 鈥淭his is a humanitarian catastrophe, and we need action now.鈥�
The immediate task is to stop the bombing, end the horrific humanitarian disaster in Gaza, and go forward with the entire world toward a two-state solution.
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders)
In their statement, Welch and Sanders highlighted the growing urgency to protect civilian lives in Gaza. However, both stopped short of calling for a cease-fire, which are also refusing to do.
That鈥檚 something the U.N. General Assembly has called for. The international body " .
Meanwhile the United States and the Group of Seven have called for a 鈥渉umanitarian pause.鈥� While closely related, neither term is defined under international law. a pause would be shorter and aid-focused, whereas a cease-fire would likely entail third-party negotiations and could hold indefinitely depending on the scope of the agreement.
The third member of Vermont鈥檚 delegation, U.S. Rep. Becca Balint, has stuck to the term 鈥渉umanitarian pause.鈥�
In a statement released Friday, Balint wrote:
鈥淎n immediate humanitarian pause to the fighting in Gaza is needed to get all necessary supplies to Palestinians in desperate need. We must reduce human suffering and preserve the lives and safety of civilians in Gaza. During this humanitarian pause Hamas must immediately release all hostages.鈥�
Balint added that she was 鈥渉eartbroken by Hamas鈥� brutal attack on civilians and support[s] Israel鈥檚 right to defend itself. Hamas still poses a clear and present danger to Israel.鈥�
But both Balint and Welch say Israel risks losing support if its military doesn鈥檛 take steps to reduce civilian casualties.
"Any Israeli military strategy that ignores the human costs of its actions could backfire by undermining Israel鈥檚 standing in the world and further fan the flames of violence in the region," Balint said in the Friday statement.
In on Monday, Balint reiterated the human cost of Israel's attacks on Gaza and wrote 鈥渢he bombing must stop.鈥�
Hospitals under siege. Millions of people displaced. Gaza left with little food, water and fuel. Thousands of Palestinians, many of them children, killed.
— Rep. Becca Balint (@RepBeccaB)
This crisis cannot be ignored. Civilian bombing must stop.
Last week, Balint faced hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters when they
VTDigger reported that Balint acknowledged the demonstrators鈥� First Amendment rights, but that she also said a cease-fire was not something Hamas would agree to.
According to VTDigger, a meeting between Balint and the protest organizers was set for this week.
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