[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 34 Engrossed in House (EH)]
In the House of Representatives, U. S.,
January 9, 2009.
Whereas Hamas was founded with the stated goal of destroying the State of
Israel;
Whereas Hamas has been designated by the United States as a Foreign Terrorist
Organization;
Whereas Hamas has refused to comply with the Quartet's (the United States, the
European Union, Russia, and the United Nations) requirements that Hamas
recognize Israel's right to exist, renounce violence, and agree to
accept previous agreements between Israel and the Palestinians;
Whereas in June 2006, Hamas illegally crossed into Israel, attacked Israeli
forces, and kidnaped Corporal Gilad Shalit, whom they continue to hold
today;
Whereas Hamas has launched thousands of rockets and mortars against Israeli
population centers since 2001, and has launched more than 6,000 such
rockets and mortars since Israel withdrew its civilian population and
its military from Gaza in 2005;
Whereas Hamas has increased the range and payload of its rockets, reportedly
with support from Iran and others, putting hundreds of thousands of
Israelis in danger of rocket attacks from Gaza;
Whereas Hamas locates elements of its terrorist infrastructure in civilian
population centers, thus using innocent civilians as human shields;
Whereas Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in a statement on December 27,
2008, that ``We strongly condemn the repeated rocket and mortar attacks
against Israel and hold Hamas responsible for breaking the cease-fire
and for the renewal of violence there'';
Whereas on December 27, 2008, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said, ``For
approximately seven years, hundreds of thousands of Israeli citizens in
the south have been suffering from missiles being fired at them . . . In
such a situation we had no alternative but to respond. We do not rejoice
in battle but neither will we be deterred from it. . . .The operation in
the Gaza Strip is designed, first and foremost, to bring about an
improvement in the security reality for the residents of the south of
the country'';
Whereas the humanitarian situation in Gaza, including shortages of food, water,
electricity, and adequate medical care, is becoming more acute;
Whereas Israel has facilitated humanitarian aid to Gaza with hundreds of trucks
carrying humanitarian assistance and numerous ambulances entering the
Gaza Strip since the current round of fighting began on December 27,
2008;
Whereas on January 6, 2009, before the United Nations Security Council,
Secretary Rice stated that: ``The situation before the current events in
Gaza was clearly not sustainable. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis
lived under the daily threat of rocket attack, and frankly, no country,
none of our countries, would have been willing to tolerate such a
circumstance. Moreover, the people of Gaza watched as insecurity and
lawlessness increased and as their living conditions grew more dire
because of Hamas's actions which began with the illegal coup against the
Palestinian Authority in Gaza. . .A ceasefire that returns to those
circumstances is unacceptable and it will not last''; and
Whereas the ultimate goal of the United States is a sustainable resolution of
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that will ensure the welfare, security,
and survival of the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state
with secure borders, and a viable, independent, and democratic
Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security with the
State of Israel: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) expresses vigorous support and unwavering commitment to the
welfare, security, and survival of the State of Israel as a Jewish and
democratic state with secure borders, and recognizes its right to act in
self-defense to protect its citizens against Hamas's unceasing
aggression, as enshrined in the United Nations Charter;
(2) reiterates that Hamas must end the rocket and mortar attacks
against Israel, recognize Israel's right to exist, renounce violence,
agree to accept previous agreements between Israel and the Palestinians,
and verifiably dismantle its terrorist infrastructure;
(3) encourages the Administration to work actively to support a
durable and sustainable cease-fire in Gaza , as soon as possible, that
prevents Hamas from retaining or rebuilding its terrorist
infrastructure, including the capability to launch rockets and mortars
against Israel, and thereby allowing for the long-term improvement of
daily living conditions for the people of Gaza;
(4) believes strongly that the lives of innocent civilians must be
protected to the maximum extent possible, expresses condolences to
innocent Palestinian and Israeli victims and their families, and
reiterates that humanitarian needs in Gaza should be addressed promptly
and responsibly;
(5) calls on all nations--
(A) to condemn Hamas for deliberately embedding its
fighters, leaders, and weapons in private homes, schools,
mosques, hospitals, and otherwise using Palestinian civilians as
human shields, while simultaneously targeting Israeli civilians;
and
(B) to lay blame both for the breaking of the ``calm'' and
for subsequent civilian casualties in Gaza precisely where blame
belongs, that is, on Hamas;
(6) supports and encourages efforts to diminish the appeal and
influence of extremists in the Palestinian territories, and strengthen
moderate Palestinians who are committed to a secure and lasting peace
with Israel;
(7) calls on Egypt to intensify its efforts to halt smuggling
between Gaza and Egypt and affirms the willingness of the United States
to continue to assist Egypt in these efforts;
(8) calls for the immediate release of the kidnaped Israeli soldier
Gilad Shalit, who has been illegally held in Gaza since June 2006; and
(9) reiterates its strong support for a just and sustainable
resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict achieved through
negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority in order to
ensure the welfare, security, and survival of the State of Israel as a
Jewish and democratic state with secure borders, and a viable,
independent, and democratic Palestinian state living side by side in
peace and security with the State of Israel.
Attest:
Clerk.