Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin (IL) became the first senator to call for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Durbin shared the remarks on Thursday on CNN's "New Central," calling for an end to fighting until hostages are released.
BREAKING: SENATOR DURBIN BECOMES FIRST US SENATOR TO CALL FOR A CEASEFIRE IN GAZA pic.twitter.com/LLTJAhmz0M
— Sulaiman Ahmed (@ShaykhSulaiman) November 3, 2023
"An effort should be made to engage in conversation between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Let’s face it, this is going on for decades," Durbin said during the interview.
"Whenever the rationale from the beginning, it has now reached an intolerable level. We need to have a resolution in the Middle East that gives some promise for the future," he added.
Dick Durbin calls for Israel-Hamas ceasefire tied to hostage release https://t.co/nw51J2sAwk pic.twitter.com/mlEpFBXpKH
— The Hill (@thehill) November 2, 2023
"Progressive Democrats have repeatedly called on Biden apply diplomatic pressure on Israel to agree to a cease-fire as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza intensifies," the Hill reported.
"However, the White House has argued that a cease-fire right now would only benefit Hamas, as Israel in recent days has started its ground offensive into the Gaza Strip," it continued.
Senator Dick Durbin is officially the first U.S. senator to call for a ceasefire in Gaza—26 days into a brutal airstrike campaign by the Israeli military which has killed over 9,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to Palestinian health officials. https://t.co/ugdOzbDLTZ
— The New Republic (@newrepublic) November 2, 2023
"Durbin said he has not yet communicated his beliefs to President Biden, whose administration is actively avoiding calls for a cease-fire," the New Republic reported.
"Durbin joins the ranks of 23 members of Congress who have expressed the need for a cease-fire," it noted.
Most lawmakers, however, have supported Israel's efforts to defend itself. Over 1,400 Israelis were killed in the Hamas terror attacks, with over 200 hostages taken into Gaza.
In addition, over 30 Americans were killed during the attacks. Many of the murders were also extremely graphic, including beheadings and the burning of bodies by Hamas fighters.
Despite calls from some to stop the military response, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to put an end to Hamas. Airstrikes and limited ground attacks continue to pound Gaza as the Israeli military seeks to stop Hamas from the ability to conduct such attacks in the future. Other military efforts are also taking place on Israel's northern border, where rockets and drone attacks have taken place at the hands of Iranian-backed Hezbollah fighters.
