Terror attacks by Hamas against Israel, massacring civilians, have shocked the world. As Israel conducts rescue efforts and takes action to defend itself, an immediate concern is for the Americans who have died and those still missing who were potentially taken hostage. As the world watches, we must demonstrate decisive leadership in this moment on behalf of victimized and endangered Americans.
At this time, 27 Americans are known to have been killed, and many others remain missing. The murder of Americans by these terrorists is not accidental or incidental. They hate America and their stated goals leave no doubt they are glad to kill Americans as part of these actions.
The total casualty numbers from the attacks exceed 1,200 people killed and more than 2,700 wounded. To put that in perspective, for a nation of just over 9 million, this casualty count is proportionally equivalent to the number of Americans killed by the September 11th attacks multiple times over. Unfortunately, these numbers are sure to rise as authorities continue to locate civilian victims of the surprise attacks.
It is important to be clear, these horrific attacks by Hamas cannot rightfully be called “acts of war;” they are truly acts of terror. The rules of war prohibit killing of civilians, kidnapping civilians, and indiscriminately bombing civilian targets. Hamas has gone far beyond these conventions to shamelessly brutalize infants and celebrate the gruesome slaughter and humiliation of innocents on the world stage.
I stand with Israel and condemn Hamas’ horrific attacks. America has no greater ally in the Middle East, and we must unite in strong support in this critical moment. Having taken an untold number of hostages, Hamas has threatened to begin executing them one-by-one, and Israel has every right to use all its means to defend itself, attempt to rescue those held captive, and put an end to terrorism by Hamas and affiliated groups.
I urge President Biden to prioritize locating and identifying missing Americans and ensuring the safety of every one of our citizens currently in Israel. As air travel in and out of Israel has been severely restricted, earlier this week, I joined many of my colleagues in sending a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, urging immediate action to bring Americans home.
Throughout my time in Congress, I have consistently supported legislation to support Israel’s right to self-defense and prevent their enemies’ ability to fund terror activity, including legislation to stop the Palestinian Authority from making payments to terrorists and their families. This week, I also joined with more than 400 of my colleagues to sponsor a resolution condemning the attacks.
Considering the scale and expense of these attacks, Hamas could not have organized, equipped, orchestrated, and kept them secret, without the aid of longstanding supporter, Iran. Because of this, I am a cosponsor of legislation to block international financial transactions by Iran including any accessing of the $6 billion the Biden administration unfroze for Iran in August in exchange for American prisoners.
The risk for further escalation of this conflict is high. Without a doubt, in the face of this senseless violence, it is in the best interest of our national security to stand with Israel and let our adversaries know, it will not be tolerated.
Negotiating with terrorists and their enablers is a dead end. In a case like this, peace can only be achieved through strength. Israel is one of our closest allies and the only democracy in the Middle East. The U.S. should stand ready to provide military assistance such as missiles and artillery. If we have the capacity to help our allies defend themselves, and they are asking, we must help.