by
U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib
Michigan U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who has been critical of President Joe Biden's support of Israel, issued a statement Tuesday saying, "A temporary pause in the violence is not enough. We must move with urgency to save as many lives as possible and achieve a permanent ceasefire agreement."
Tlaib, a Palestinian American, issued a statement on her official website in response to Israel and Hamas agreeing to a four-day pause to exchange 50 Israeli hostages for 150 Palestinians who have been imprisoned in Israel.
Tlaib went on to say:
"Over 14,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since this violence began, including thousands of children, and 1.7 million Palestinians have been displaced from their homes.
“Further displacement of Palestinians and forced annexation of their land will only perpetuate this conflict. Expanding the illegal occupation will never lead to a just and lasting peace. We must address the root causes of this conflict.
“When this short-term agreement expires, the bombing of innocent civilians will continue. We need a permanent ceasefire that saves lives, brings all the hostages and those arbitrarily detained home, and puts an end to this horrific violence.”
The conflict began on Oct. 7 after Hamas attacked Israel near the Gaza border and killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians. The number of dead in Gaza, more than 14,000, has been provided by Hamas' controlled Health Ministry and does not break down civilians and Hamas soldiers.
Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas and Hamas has repeatedly said its goal is to eliminate Israel.
