十几名民主党参议员呼吁总统乔·拜登做更多的事来获得以色列保护加沙的无辜平民，并敦促更多的人道主义援助进入该飞地——这是向政府施加压力以遏制正在发展的人道主义危机的最新迹象。
俄勒冈州参议员杰夫·默克雷(Jeff Merkley)加入了进步民主党人的行列，呼吁停火。
在周一写给总统乔·拜登的信中之后，13名参议员发出“紧急呼吁，要求向加沙的巴勒斯坦平民提供人道主义援助”哈马斯对以色列的突然恐怖袭击10月7日。据以色列官员称，在最初的恐怖袭击中，超过1200人在以色列丧生。据哈马斯控制的加沙卫生部称，自那以来，已有超过13，000人在加沙的报复行动中丧生。
民主党参议员在信中写道:“我们鼓励你与国际合作伙伴合作，尽快实施一项持续向加沙提供人道主义援助的计划。”。“我们希望你们能和我们一起鼓励我们的盟友以色列立即采取措施，帮助向加沙的无辜平民提供重要的人道主义援助，包括重新开放(加沙南部的)凯雷姆沙洛姆过境点，让脆弱的平民能够获得救命的水、食物和燃料。”
签署这封信的民主党人包括参议员默凯利、塔米·鲍德温、蒂姆·凯恩、克里斯·范·霍伦、迪克·德宾、布赖恩·沙茨、麦克·班尼、马丁·海因里希、彼得·韦尔奇、伊丽莎白·沃伦、谭美·达克沃斯、埃德·马基和珍妮·沙欣。
白宫没有回应ABC新闻对这封信的评论请求。
本月早些时候，白宫表示以色列同意实施每天四小时的人道主义暂停对加沙北部哈马斯的袭击。以色列的轰炸行动和对邻近的加沙地带的全面封锁使得向该地区运送救援物资的努力变得更加复杂。
在星期一的白宫新闻发布会上，国家安全委员会发言人约翰·柯比说，在美国的敦促下，每天的人道主义暂停是“定期发生的”，在某些情况下甚至延长到每天7个小时。
柯比说，政府希望这些人道主义的暂停能够有助于安全释放数百名被哈马斯扣押在加沙的人质。
President Joe Biden delivers remarks during the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework Leaders event at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation CEO Summit in San Francisco, Nov. 16, 2023.
布列塔尼·何西阿-斯莫尔/路透社
柯比在白宫新闻发布会上说:“如果你要确保人质的释放——我们当然希望我们能够很快做到这一点——你必须确保他们能够从他们所在的地方到达安全的地方，并尽可能安全地做到这一点，这意味着你必须至少暂时停止战斗，让他们离开。”。
参议员们在同一天寄出了这封信拜登说，他相信协议即将达成解救200多名人质中的一些人。政府表示，据信人质中有10名美国人下落不明。
拜登周二表示，“我们现在非常接近”达成释放被哈马斯扣押的人质的协议，但总统没有讨论更多细节。
在信中，民主党参议员也分享了他们对战争长期影响的担忧。
参议员们写道:“我们担心，加沙不断加剧的长期痛苦不仅是那里的巴勒斯坦平民无法忍受的，还会加剧现有的紧张局势，侵蚀地区联盟，从而对以色列平民的安全产生负面影响。”
他们呼吁总统制定一项计划，结束哈马斯在加沙的影响，帮助建立“未来的希望”美国将哈马斯列为恐怖组织。
“我们担心目前的冲突轨迹会让我们进一步远离我们的共同目标，即结束哈马斯的威胁，让他们在加沙下台，将人质带回家，以及通过两国解决方案实现该地区的可持续和平，”参议员们写道。“总统先生，你清楚地阐明这一愿景符合我们的国家利益。为此，我们敦促你们界定美国对以色列和巴勒斯坦未来的愿景，以及美国在鼓励和平解决和重建方面将发挥的作用。”
星期一，参议员Merkley发布到X停火是必要的，但它“必须实现其他重要目标，包括释放所有人质和大量人道主义援助的流入。”
本月早些时候，Merkley和参议院第二号民主党人Durbin一起呼吁停火。德宾是第一个呼吁在加沙停火的参议员，在CNN上说停火应该以释放人质为条件。
人道主义组织敦促以色列停止从加沙北部撤离，并同意停火，尽管该国声称有权针对哈马斯进行自卫，这是拜登政府认可的权利。
白宫倾向于人道主义暂停，而不是停火。
“我们不支持停火，”柯比上周在白宫新闻发布会上说。“我们认为这将有利于哈马斯。”
Democratic senators call on Biden to press Israel to allow more Gaza aid
More than a dozen Democratic senators are calling on PresidentJoe Bidento do more to getIsraelto protect innocent civilians in Gaza and to press for more humanitarian aid into the enclave -- the latest sign that pressure is mounting on the administration to exert influence to curb the unfolding humanitarian crisis.
One, Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon, is joining progressive Democrats in calling for a cease-fire.
In a letter to President Joe Biden on Monday, 13 senators made an "urgent call for humanitarian assistance for Palestinian civilians in Gaza" followingHamas' surprise terror attacks on Israelon Oct. 7. More than 1,200 people were killed in Israel during the initial terror attack, according to Israeli officials. More than 13,000 people have been killed in retaliatory operations in Gaza since, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.
"We encourage you to work with international partners to achieve expeditious implementation of a plan for sustained humanitarian aid in Gaza," the Democratic senators wrote in the letter. "We hope you'll join us in encouraging our ally Israel to take immediate steps to help provide critical humanitarian aid to the innocent civilians in Gaza, including re-opening the Kerem Shalom border crossing [in southern Gaza] to allow life-saving water, food, and fuel to reach vulnerable civilians."
The Democrats who signed the letter include Sens. Merkely, Tammy Baldwin, Tim Kaine, Chris Van Hollen, Dick Durbin, Brian Schatz, Michael Bennet, Martin Heinrich, Peter Welch, Elizabeth Warren, Tammy Duckworth, Ed Markey and Jeanne Shaheen.
The White House hasn't responded to ABC News' request for comment on the letter.
Earlier this month, the White House saidIsrael agreed to put in place four-hour daily humanitarian pauseson its attack on Hamas in northern Gaza. Israel's bombing campaign and total siege of the neighboring Gaza Strip has complicated efforts to deliver aid to the area.
At the White House press briefing Monday, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the daily humanitarian pauses, at U.S. urging, are "happening on a regular basis" and have extended up to seven hours a day in some cases.
Kirby said the administration is hopeful these humanitarian pauses can help with the safe release of the hundreds of hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza.
"If you're going to secure the release of hostages -- and we certainly hope we're going to be able to do that soon -- you got to make sure they can get from where they are to safety and do that as safely as possible, which means you're going to have to have at least a temporary localized stop in the fighting to allow them to move," Kirby said at the White House press briefing.
The senators sent the letter the same day thatBiden said he believed a deal is nearto free some of the more than 200 hostages. The administration said that 10 Americans unaccounted for are believed to be among the hostages.
Biden said Tuesday that "we're now very close" on a deal to release the hostages being held by Hamas, but the president did not discuss more details.
Also in the letter, the Democratic senators shared their concern for the long-term effects of the war.
"We are concerned that increased and prolonged suffering in Gaza is not only intolerable for Palestinian civilians there but will also negatively impact the security of Israeli civilians by exacerbating existing tensions and eroding regional alliances," the senators wrote.
They called on the president to develop a plan to end Hamas' influence in Gaza and help build "hope for the future." The U.S. has designated Hamas as a terrorist organization.
"We worry the current trajectory of the conflict moves us further away from our shared goals of ending Hamas's threat and removing them from power in Gaza, bringing hostages home, and achieving sustainable peace in the region through a two-state solution," the senators wrote. "Mr. President, it is in our national interest that you clearly articulate that vision. To these ends, we urge you to define a U.S. vision for the future of Israel and Palestine as well as the role our country will play in encouraging a peaceful resolution and rebuilding."
On Monday,Sen. Merkley posted to Xthat a cease-fire is needed, but it "must accomplish other essential objectives, including the release of all hostages and a massive influx of humanitarian aid."
Merkley joined Durbin, the second-highest ranking Democrat in the Senate, in his call earlier this month for a cease-fire. Durbin was the first senator to call for a cease-fire in Gaza,saying on CNNthat a cease-fire should be contingent on the release of hostages.
Humanitarian groups have urged Israel to call off the evacuation of the northern part of Gaza and agree to a cease-fire, even as the country has asserted a right to defend itself against Hamas -- a right the Biden administration endorses.
The White House has favored humanitarian pauses over a cease-fire.
"We don't support a cease-fire," Kirby said at a White House press briefing last week. "We think that's going to benefit Hamas."
