Israel and Hamas have agreed to a four-day pause in fighting. During that pause, Hamas will release 50 hostages and Israel will release Palestinians that are being held in jail. Aid trucks with water, food and other supplies will also cross into the Gaza Strip.
Officials confirmed to CNN that the cease-fire begins Thursday, Nov. 23, at 10 a.m. local time. There’s an option to extend the truce if Hamas releases more hostages.
Regardless, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said after the cease-fire is over, the Israeli Defense Forces will keep fighting “until we achieve all our goals.” In his words, those goals are to destroy Hamas and ensure an attack like the one on Oct. 7 can never happen again.
As Washington lawmakers consider new aid packages to Israel’s military and humanitarian relief for the Palestinian people, what do they think of the deal?
First, President Joe Biden and other top Democrats said they will continue working to bring all American hostages home.
Nine American citizens are still missing and the White House said it doesn’t know if all of them are alive. Officials expect three to be released out of the initial group of 50.
Top democrat in the House of Representatives, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, N.Y., said this deal is an important step forward.
“In order to arrive at a just and lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinian people, Hamas must be decisively defeated,” Jeffries said in a statement. “The groundwork must also be laid to achieve a two-state solution that ensures security, dignity and prosperity for Israelis and Palestinians.”
White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan addressed concerns that Hamas could regroup during a cease-fire.
“Hamas can regroup, it can rest, it can reorient itself and yes, take advantage of this time,” Sullivan told “CBS Mornings.” “But this was a cost that Israel was prepared to pay because the human benefit of reuniting people with their families, especially women and children, was so profound and compelling.”
Pro-Palestinian protestors and some members of Congress have called for a cease-fire, but Hamas’ ability to regroup and refuel during a pause has been one of the main counterarguments against that.
Meanwhile, Republicans have been quiet.
The House Foreign Affairs Committee, led by Texas Republican Michael McCaul, told Straight Arrow News, “We’re monitoring the situation closely.”
As of the time of publication, Straight Arrow News has not received a response from the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee or Sen. Lindsey Graham, who has been outspoken in his support for Israel.
