Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal says the US has a unique role to play to secure a ceasefire and swap deal.
Washington Representative in Congress Pramila Jayapal voiced deep concern on Friday over the escalation of tension in the Middle East.
“I am extremely concerned about escalating violence in the Middle East,” she wrote on X.
“This cycle of violence will not make anyone more secure and will certainly only lead to further losses of civilian life in Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Iran and throughout the region,” she added.
The Congresswoman emphasized that today is the time to de-escalate to avoid further violence, which can only happen through ceasefire negotiations and a swap deal to end the war on the Gaza Strip and secure the return of captives.
I am extremely concerned about escalating violence in the Middle East.
This cycle of violence will not make anyone more secure and will certainly only lead to further losses of civilian life in Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Iran, and throughout the region.
— Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@RepJayapal) October 4, 2024
Jayapal accentuated the pivotal role of the United States in reaching such a deal.
“The United States has a unique role to play here. We can and must use all the tools in our toolbox to help push for an end to this violence,” she wrote.
“We must use all of our leverage to work toward safety and security in the region to protect innocent civilian lives,” the Congresswoman concluded.
US Ironclad Support of Israel
Jayapal’s statement comes as various officials in the US administration reiterate non-stop the right of Israel to defend itself against what they say “the proxies of Iran” in the region, in addition to securing Tel Aviv, with massive amounts of weapons to carry on the job.
Israel announced on September 26 that it is ready to collect $8.7 billion in military aid from the United States.
The US military aid package to Israel comes amidst a genocide in Gaza and the fifth day of an Israeli unprecedented escalation on Lebanon.
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According to a statement by Israel’s defense ministry quoted by the Israeli newspaper The Times of Israel, Tel Aviv has secured the package “to support its ongoing military efforts and to maintain a qualitative military edge in the region.”
“The package comprises $3.5 billion for essential wartime procurement, which has already been transferred to the IMoD (Israeli Ministry of Defense), and $5.2 billion designated for air defense systems, including the Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and an advanced laser system,” Anadolu news agency reported quoting the statement.
Gaza Genocide Continues
Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza.
Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 41,788 Palestinians have been killed, and 96,794 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7, 2023.
Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine, mostly in northern Gaza, resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.
The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.
Later in the war, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians began moving from the south to central Gaza in a constant search for safety.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
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