WASHINGTON–U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia and Counterterrorism, and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) joined U.S. Senators Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.), co-chairs of the Abraham Accords Caucus, and 45 of their Senate colleagues in urging President Biden to continue dedicating his full attention to freeing the American hostages that were taken by Hamas during the terrorist organization’s October 7th attacks on Israel, and supporting Israel’s efforts to dismantle the threat of Hamas.
The lawmakers wrote: “We appreciate that you have sent the U.S. Deputy Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs to Israel to assist in the recovery of the hostages, and we urge you to do everything in your power to secure their safe release.
“Hamas has already killed 30 Americans and likely injured many more…The terrorists responsible for these atrocities hide behind human shields while they threaten to livestream the execution of hostages. Hamas has also reportedly demanded the mass release of prisoners in exchange for freeing its hostages and could use the hostages to push for a ceasefire. With several U.S. citizens still missing in the aftermath of the terror group’s brutal attack, we urge you to continue putting your full attention on the freeing of American hostages. Every day must be treated with a sense of urgency,” the lawmakers continued.
The lawmakers added: “As a result, we urge the United States to continue supporting Israel’s urgent efforts to dismantle the threat of Hamas, provide the necessary resources for Israel’s defense, and continue offering whatever support necessary to immediately and safely rescue kidnapped Americans, with particular attention to those who require urgent medical care.”
“We urge you to encourage our allies and partners in the region to place pressure on Hamas to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross to have access to the hostages while the United States and Israel work to secure their release,” the lawmakers concluded.
Murphy, Blumenthal, Ernst, and Booker were joined on the letter by U.S. Senators Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.).
Full text of the letter is available here.
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