Representative Madeleine Dean of Glenside is urging President Donald Trump to remain committed to the ceasefire in Gaza.
According to the Associated Press, Israel’s military carried out heavy airstrikes this week that killed 104 Palestinians, including 66 women and children. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Hamas violated provisions in the deal concerning the handover of remains of hostages.
Trump reportedly defended the strikes but said the ceasefire is still on.
“Hamas is a very small part of the overall Middle East peace. And they have to behave,” Trump said. If not, they will be “terminated.”
In a letter signed by six other members of Congress, Dean wrote:
We welcome the implementation of the first phase of the ceasefire in Gaza and the return of the hostages. Sustained American pressure is critical to achieving further diplomatic breakthroughs. We urge you not to ease any leverage until all phases of the agreement come into full effect. As we are already witnessing, the end to the war also marks the beginning of a longer and far more difficult process toward building durable peace, security, and stability.
We stand at a major historical hinge point. If your administration moves urgently and continues to use the leverage it has, we can move toward a future where both Israelis and Palestinians live in freedom, security, and dignity in states of their own. We urge quick action and sustained and relentless engagement to implement the next phases of your 20-point plan
The letter calls for the Trump Administration to:
- Lead efforts to negotiate a comprehensive regional agreement that includes a pathway to Palestinian statehood.
- Work with regional stakeholders to establish an effective replacement for Hamas, with the goal of ultimately transitioning control of Gaza to a reformed Palestinian Authority;
- Support the IDF’s full withdrawal from Gaza;
- Oppose settlement expansion and settler violence in the West Bank;
- Invest long-term in Gaza’s reconstruction; and
“The latest Israeli strikes in Gaza are a stark reminder of how tenuous the current moment is – and the need for the Trump Administration’s continued engagement and unwavering commitment to long-term peace for Israel and Palestine,” Dean wrote in a post.
Her letter to President Trump is below:
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