Congress: 60 Lawmakers Urge State Dept. To Oppose Displacement Of Palestinians From Gaza

By Ayanna Pressley Photos: YouTube Screenshots WASHINGTON — Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) and Congressman Jamie Raskin (MD-08) led a group of 60 House lawmakers in urging the State Department to affirm the United States’ strong opposition to the forced and permanent displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, and to support an increase in humanitarian aid to the region. Since the brutal Hamas attack on October 7, over 1.8 million Palestinians in Gaza—80% of the population—have been displaced due to the ongoing conflict. In their letter to Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, the lawmakers voiced their support for the Biden Administration’s strong opposition to any consideration of the idea of forcible transfer of Palestinians and clear public comments reiterating that position, and expressed their concern about extremist rhetoric from Israeli officials and proposals from the Israeli government calling for the forcible transfer of Palestinians out of Gaza. “We urge you to continue to reiterate the United States’ firm commitment to this position and ask that you provide clarification regarding certain provisions of the administration’s supplemental humanitarian and security funding request,” the lawmakers wrote.“Any forced expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza would only exacerbate the trauma and pain Palestinian civilians in Gaza are...