Chris Van Hollen: “during his State of the Union Address last week, President Biden once again rightly pointed out that Israel has the…”

“during his State of the Union Address last week, President Biden once again rightly pointed out that Israel has the right and I would say the duty to defend itself in the aftermath of the brutal Hamas terror attack of October 7 that left approximately 1,200 brutally murdered and 240 taken hostage. There must be no more October 7s. President Biden also described the ongoing humanitarian disaster taking place in Gaza today. Over 31,000 Palestinians have been killed-- over two-thirds of them women and children--and likely thousands more unaccounted for, buried beneath the rubble. Gaza has become a hellhole of human suffering. Humanitarian organizations that have operated worldwide for decades say they have never witnessed a more terrible situation. Among those suffering in Gaza are not only over 2 million innocent Palestinian civilians but also over 130 hostages still held by Hamas, including Americans. Earlier this week, I met with some of the families of Israeli hostages whose loved ones were kidnapped and are still being held captive, as well as one brave woman who was held hostage and released during the November pause. Every day that they are separated from their loved ones, not knowing what will happen to them next, is a day of unimaginable mental anguish and torment. That is why we must prioritize the release of the hostages and end the suffering of Palestinian civilians.…”