[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 83 (Thursday, May 13, 2021)]
[House]
[Page H2298]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
ISRAEL-HAMAS CONFLICT
(Mr. SHERMAN asked and was given permission to address the House for
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, Hamas has fired 1,600 rockets into Israel.
Each rocket is a war crime, for each was fired solely for the purpose
of killing as many civilians as possible.
President Biden has declared, unwaveringly, our support for Israel's
right to defend itself. We grieve every civilian death, Israeli and
Palestinian. We cannot accept at face value reports of Palestinian
deaths since they come from Hamas, a terrorist organization, recognized
as such by both the U.S. and the EU.
Hamas has caused many Palestinian deaths since one-quarter of its
rockets aimed at Israel actually explode in Gaza, and because Hamas
locates its military operations in civilian neighborhoods, using human
shields.
Mr. Speaker, I want to commend Israel for its efforts to avoid
civilian casualties while striking successfully at terrorists. I want
to commend this Congress for funding Iron Dome, which has successfully
avoided so many Israeli civilian deaths.
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