OAN’s Taylor Tinsley
2:15pm – Wednesday, February 7, 2023
A bipartisan bicameral delegation welcomed the speaker of Israel’s parliament and the families of hostages abducted by Hamas, calling for their immediate release.
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On Wednesday, Sen. Joni Ernst (D-Iowa) and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) welcomed Israeli lawmakers to the Capitol.
The Iowa Democratic Party said its lawmakers are working together across party lines to free the hostages.
Israeli Parliament Speaker Amir Ohana said the purpose of the press conference was to show the world and the United States that “we are united.”
“Our commitment is to bring all the hostages back to their families as soon as possible, and this is not an Israeli effort alone.” “We have the United States on our side, we have been successful in reaching agreements before, and we hope that such an agreement will be possible again.”
Speaking about Israel’s goals, Ohana insisted that Israel cannot be stopped until Hamas is defeated.
He also said that Israel represents the free world and will make the free world victorious.
“Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, joint militias and Palestinian Islamic Jihad are only proxies of Iran,” Ohana said. “If there’s one thing I want everyone to take away with them, it’s that Iran, which financed, operated, and created these huge terrorist organizations, will come out of the war the same way it started. That means you shouldn’t do it.”
Families of those taken by Hamas on October 7thth He also stood on the podium on Wednesday.
Dizza Mol, father of hostage Eitan Mol, said: “I think about my son who rescued dozens of people who were sitting in a tunnel with Hamas animals without food or water during the Nova festival.” “It’s very, very painful,” he said. .
“The last line of the American national anthem is ‘Land of the Free and Home of the Brave,’ and Romi is the bravest person I know. She spent 124 days in the tunnel, must be released,” said Eitan Gonen, father of hostage Romi Gonen.
February 7thth Four months have passed since the estimated remaining 136 hostages were taken into custody.
The press conference was held after an internal Israeli military report was reviewed. new york times It is estimated that at least one-fifth of the Gaza hostages were killed.
Intelligence officials concluded that at least 31 hostages have been killed since the war began, and at least 20 more are feared dead.
Both sides continue to discuss a possible ceasefire.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday rejected further conditions proposed by Hamas as “bizarre” and “delusional.”
Previous conditions have included the release of more than 1,000 prisoners, a plan to rebuild Gaza’s infrastructure, and recognition of an independent Palestinian Authority.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that if Hamas survives in Gaza, “it will only be a matter of time before the next genocide occurs.”
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