A group of Republican senators on Wednesday called on President Biden to focus on freeing hostages held by Hamas, rather than a potential plan to bring Gaza refugees into the United States.
In a letter to the president, 35 Republican senators, led by Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), said: warned It said a reported plan to resettle some Palestinians on U.S. soil “poses a national security risk.”
“We have no confidence that your administration will be able to adequately vet these individuals, who likely have terrorist ties or sympathies, before allowing them to enter the United States,” the senators wrote. He noted that the United States has had very limited contact with Gazans since the outbreak. If war broke out, it would be “nearly impossible to conduct thorough scrutiny.”
“We are also dissatisfied that your administration is proceeding with plans to evacuate Gazans from the Strip, even though there are still U.S. citizens held hostage by Hamas,” the letter said. continued.
“We urge your administration to halt plans to admit Gaza refugees until you adequately respond to our concerns and focus instead on securing the release of American hostages held by Hamas.” I request that.”
Senior officials from multiple agencies in the Biden administration are exploring possible avenues to take in small numbers of Gazans, some of whom have fled the Palestinian enclave to Egypt to escape fighting and others with their families. Those in the United States are also included, CBS News reported Tuesday evening.
The White House refused to confirm or deny the report.
“We’re always looking at all options,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday when asked about possible plans.
The senators also raised concerns that the plan could ultimately lead to an influx of refugees into Egypt seeking to be brought to the United States, exacerbating the already tense situation at the Gaza Strip-Egypt border. He also expressed concerns.
“Egypt is already concerned that the ongoing conflict could lead to a sharp increase in the number of Gazans attempting to enter the Sinai Peninsula illegally,” they wrote. Cairo has therefore restricted its border with Gaza and limited the number of Gazans entering Egypt. ”
“We are concerned that if the United States institutes a large-scale refugee policy against Gazans, they will flock to the Egypt-Gaza border hoping to escape to the United States.”
Mr. Ernst and others also asked Mr. Biden why his administration would accept refugees from Gaza when “even neighboring Arab countries that support the Palestinian cause refuse to accept Gaza refugees due to security concerns.” He said he was “perplexed” by why he seemed so willing to accept the situation.
“Isn’t our first duty to rescue our own people, not the Gazans?” they argued.
The letter concludes with questions for the 81-year-old president, including how many Gaza refugees it wants to take in, how the vetting process will work, and what the administration’s proposed plan is. This includes whether consultations were held with local partners.
Almost seven months after the war began, about 130 hostages, including five Americans, are still being held by Hamas.
