Sen. Jeff Merkley Demands End To Israel-Hamas Conflict
Sen. Jeff Merkley, a progressive Democrat from Oregon, on Monday called for Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas to cease their hostilities.He is only the second member of the Senate to speak in favor of a cease-fire. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) embraced the idea earlier this month, though he appeared to condition his support on the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas.In a lengthy statement affirming his horror at Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack and the state of Israel’s right to live in security, Merkley argued that Israel has not taken adequate measures to protect Palestinian civilians or limit humanitarian damage in Gaza. More than 12,000 Palestinians have died in Israel’s invasion of the Gaza Strip, including 4,000 children, according to estimates by Gaza’s health ministry, a part...
