[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 317 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 317

 Demanding that Hamas immediately and unconditionally release Israeli 
                         soldier Gilad Shalit.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 21, 2011

Mr. Ackerman submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                    the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Demanding that Hamas immediately and unconditionally release Israeli 
                         soldier Gilad Shalit.

Whereas Congress previously expressed its concern for missing Israeli soldiers 
        in Public Law 106-89 (113 Stat. 1305; November 8, 1999), which required 
        the Secretary of State to raise the status of missing Israeli soldiers 
        with appropriate government officials of Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian 
        Authority, and other governments in the region, and to submit to 
        Congress reports on those efforts and any subsequent discovery of 
        relevant information;
Whereas the House of Representatives passed H. Res. 107 on March 13, 2007, and 
        H. Res. 1359 on June 24, 2010, regarding Gilad Shalit and other Israeli 
        soldiers attacked and captured by terrorists;
Whereas Israel completed its withdrawal from Gaza on September 12, 2005;
Whereas, on June 25, 2006, contrary to international humanitarian standards and 
        the most basic standards of humanitarian conduct, Hamas, a State 
        Department designated foreign terrorist organization, together with 
        other allied terrorists, crossed into Israel to attack a military post, 
        killing two soldiers and wounding and kidnapping a third, Gilad Shalit, 
        in a blatantly extortionate effort to coerce the Government of Israel;
Whereas Hamas, contrary to international humanitarian standards and the most 
        basic standards of humanitarian conduct, has prevented access to Gilad 
        Shalit by competent medical personnel and representatives of the 
        International Committee of the Red Cross;
Whereas Hamas, contrary to international humanitarian standards and the most 
        basic standards of humanitarian conduct, has failed to provide Gilad 
        Shalit the humane treatment to which all captives are entitled as a 
        fundamental human right;
Whereas Hamas, contrary to international humanitarian standards and the most 
        basic standards of humanitarian conduct, has refused to provide Gilad 
        Shalit with regular contact with his family or any other party, or to 
        allow his family to know where he is being held;
Whereas Hamas, contrary to international humanitarian standards and the most 
        basic standards of humanitarian conduct, has compelled Gilad Shalit to 
        appear in video and voice recordings intended to extort and coerce the 
        Government of Israel;
Whereas Hamas, contrary to the most basic standards of humanitarian conduct, has 
        staged plays and produced cartoons and animated movies that have mocked 
        Shalit, his captivity, and his family, and have promised further 
        kidnappings of Israeli soldiers; and
Whereas Gilad Shalit has been held in captivity by Hamas for almost 5 years: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) demands that--
                    (A) Hamas immediately and unconditionally release 
                Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit; and
                    (B) Hamas accede to international humanitarian 
                standards and the most basic standards of humanitarian 
                conduct by--
                            (i) allowing prompt access to Gilad Shalit 
                        by competent medical personnel and 
                        representatives of the International Committee 
                        of the Red Cross;
                            (ii) providing Gilad Shalit the humane 
                        treatment all captives are entitled to as a 
                        fundamental human right;
                            (iii) facilitating regular communication by 
                        Gilad Shalit with his family and allowing his 
                        family to know where he is being held; and
                            (iv) ceasing to compel Gilad Shalit to 
                        appear in video and voice recordings intended 
                        to extort and coerce the Government of Israel;
            (2) expresses its--
                    (A) vigorous support and unwavering commitment to 
                the welfare, security, and survival of the State of 
                Israel as a Jewish and democratic state within 
                recognized and secure borders;
                    (B) strong opposition to participation by Hamas in 
                the Palestinian Authority prior to explicit acceptance 
                by that group of Israel's right to exist, the cessation 
                of all violence, and the binding commitments made 
                previously by the Palestinian Authority and the 
                Palestine Liberation Organization;
                    (C) ongoing concern and sympathy for the family of 
                Gilad Shalit and the families of all other missing 
                Israeli soldiers; and
                    (D) full commitment to continue to seek the 
                immediate and unconditional release of Gilad Shalit and 
                other missing Israeli soldiers;
            (3) recalls--
                    (A) the barbaric attack on and kidnapping of the 
                bodies of Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev on July 12, 
                2006, by the Iran-supported terrorist group Hezbollah; 
                and
                    (B) the missing Israeli soldiers Zecharya Baumel, 
                Zvi Feldman, and Yehuda Katz, missing since June 11, 
                1982, Ron Arad, who was captured on October 16, 1986, 
                Guy Hever, last seen on August 17, 1997, and Majdy 
                Halabi, last seen on May 24, 2005; and
            (4) condemns--
                    (A) Hamas for the grossly immoral cross-border 
                attack and kidnapping of Gilad Shalit; and
                    (B) Iran and Syria, the primary state sponsors and 
                patrons of Hamas, for their ongoing support for 
                international terrorism.
                                 <all>