[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 149 (Tuesday, December 9, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6465-S6466]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  DENOUNCING THE USE OF CIVILIANS AS HUMAN SHIELDS BY HAMAS AND OTHER 
 TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS IN VIOLATION OF INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW

  Mr. SCHATZ. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 616, H. Con. 
Res. 107.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the concurrent 
resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 107) denouncing the 
     use of civilians as human shields by Hamas and other 
     terrorist organizations in violation of international 
     humanitarian law.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
concurrent resolution, which had been reported from the Committee on 
Foreign Relations, with an amendment and an amendment to the preamble 
and an amendment to the title.
  (Strike out all after the resolving clause and insert the part 
printed in italic.)
  (Strike the preamble and insert the part printed in italic.)

                            H. Con. Res. 107

       Whereas the use of human shields is unconscionable and 
     morally unacceptable;
       Whereas since June 15, 2014, there have been over 2,000 
     rockets fired by Hamas and other terrorist organizations from 
     Gaza into Israel;
       Whereas Hamas uses civilian populations as human shields by 
     placing their missile batteries in densely populated areas 
     and near schools, hospitals, and mosques;
       Whereas Israel dropped leaflets, made announcements, placed 
     phone calls, and sent text messages to the Palestinian people 
     in Gaza warning them in advance that an attack was imminent, 
     and went to extraordinary lengths to target only terrorist 
     actors and to minimize collateral damage;
       Whereas Hamas urged the residents of Gaza to ignore the 
     Israeli warnings and to remain in their houses and encouraged 
     Palestinians to gather on the roofs of their homes to act as 
     human shields;
       Whereas on July 23, 2014, the 46-Member UN Human Rights 
     Council passed a resolution to form a commission of inquiry 
     over Israel's operations in Gaza that completely fails to 
     condemn Hamas for its indiscriminate rocket attacks and its 
     unconscionable use of human shields, with the United States 
     being the lone dissenting vote;
       Whereas public reports have cited the role of Iran and 
     Syria in providing material support and training to Hamas and 
     other terrorist groups carrying out rocket and mortar attacks 
     from Gaza;
       Whereas throughout the summer of 2006 conflict between the 
     State of Israel and the terrorist organization Hezbollah, 
     Hezbollah forces utilized innocent civilians as human 
     shields;
       Whereas al Qaeda, Al-Shabaab, Islamic State of Iraq and the 
     Levant (ISIL), and other foreign terrorist organizations 
     typically use innocent civilians as human shields;
       Whereas the United States and Israel have cooperated on 
     missile defense projects, including Iron Dome, David's Sling, 
     and the Arrow Anti-Missile System, projects designed to 
     thwart a diverse range of threats, including short-range 
     missiles and rockets fired by non-state actors, such as 
     Hamas;
       Whereas the United States provided $460,000,000 in fiscal 
     year 2014 for Iron Dome research, development, and 
     production;

[[Page S6466]]

       Whereas, during the most recent rocket attacks from Gaza, 
     Iron Dome successfully intercepted dozens of rockets that 
     were launched against Israeli population centers; and
       Whereas 5,000,000 Israelis are currently living under the 
     threat of rocket attacks from Gaza: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring),
       That Congress--
       (1) strongly condemns the use of innocent civilians as 
     human shields;
       (2) calls on the international community to recognize and 
     condemn Hamas' use of human shields;
       (3) places responsibility for the rocket attacks against 
     Israel on Hamas and other terrorist organizations, such as 
     Palestine Islamic Jihad;
       (4) supports the sovereign right of the Government of 
     Israel to defend its territory and its citizens from Hamas' 
     rocket attacks, kidnapping attempts, and the use of tunnels 
     and other means to carry out attacks against Israel;
       (5) expresses condolences to the families of the innocent 
     victims on both sides of the conflict;
       (6) supports Palestinian civilians who reject Hamas and all 
     forms of terrorism and violence, desiring to live in peace 
     with their Israeli neighbors;
       (7) supports efforts to demilitarize the Gaza Strip, 
     removing Hamas's means to target Israel, including its use of 
     tunnels, rockets, and other means; and
       (8) condemns the United Nations Human Rights Council's 
     biased resolution establishing a commission of inquiry into 
     Israel's Gaza operations.
  Mr. SCHATZ. I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported 
amendment to the resolution be agreed to, the resolution, as amended, 
be agreed to, and that the committee-reported amendment to the preamble 
be agreed to, the preamble, as amended, be agreed to, and that the 
committee-reported amendment to the title be agreed to, and that the 
motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The committee-reported amendment in the nature of a substitute was 
agreed to.
  The concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 107), as amended, was agreed 
to.
  The committee-reported amendment to the preamble in the nature of a 
substitute was agreed to.
  The preamble, as amended, was agreed to.
  The committee-reported amendment to the title was agreed to, as 
follows:
       Amend the title so as to read: ``A concurrent resolution 
     denouncing the use of civilians as human shields by Hamas and 
     other terrorist organizations.''.

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