From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, October 17, 2023
113 US members of Congress disavow calls for ‘premature’ ceasefire in Gaza
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleJacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
A bipartisan group of 113 US House lawmakers have penned a letter to US President Joe Biden repudiating calls from some progressives for “de-escalation” amid the ongoing Gaza war and pressing him to further sanction Iran over its support for Hamas.
“Premature de-escalation would be a victory for the terrorists, and allow them to continue to threaten Israeli civilians with future attacks,” states the letter signed by 63 Democrats and 50 Republicans.
“We urge the administration to take all necessary steps to cut off Iranian funding sources. This includes maximum enforcement of all US sanctions, and taking any and all steps to end Iran’s oil trade to China, which currently brings in $150 million per day in revenue.
“On October 18, UN ballistic missile sanctions will expire under the terms of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). This cannot be allowed to happen. We urge your administration to work with our European allies to immediately implement snapback sanctions on Iran at the UN Security Council,” the lawmakers say.
The representatives also urge Biden to put significant pressure on Qatar and Turkey to cease their support for Hamas and expel the terror group’s leaders whom they host.
The Times of Israel Community.