[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Pages 13925-13926]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             CRISIS IN GAZA

  Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, the crisis in Gaza is extremely 
distressing, particularly to those who had hope for Secretary of State 
Kerry's years of shuttle diplomacy between the Government of Israel and 
the Palestinian Authority.
  After seeing several similar attempts fail in the past, we know that 
for such diplomacy to succeed over the long term it will require the 
participation not only of representatives of the Israeli and 
Palestinian parties to the conflict but also the active support of 
Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, and the other Arab states.
  Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Abbas are not able to reach an 
agreement to end the conflict themselves. Also, any agreement that 
lacks the support of Hamas or that cannot withstand the active 
opposition of Hamas will almost certainly fail.
  According to the Government of Israel, at least 2,600 Hamas rockets 
and mortars have been fired indiscriminately toward Israel, forcing 
thousands of Israelis into basements and bomb shelters. Fortunately, 
most have landed harmlessly, and the U.S.-supplied Iron Dome missile 
defense system has intercepted many others.
  The latest report of the United Nations Office for the Coordination 
of Humanitarian Affairs paints a chilling

[[Page 13926]]

picture of death and destruction in Gaza.
  Hamas has placed rocket launchers, ammunition, and tunnels in the 
midst of densely populated residential areas, even in mosques and U.N. 
facilities, and they are being targeted by Israeli bombs, missiles, and 
tank shells. Of course, civilians are literally trapped in the 
crossfire. As of today, at least 1,118 Palestinians have been killed, 
6,233 injured, and 240,000 displaced from their homes, many of which 
have been damaged or destroyed. The overwhelming majority of the 
victims have been civilians.
  It is clear that Hamas's leaders, who specialize in terrorist 
tactics, care far more about their fighters than the safety of Gaza's 
civilian population. Yet even safe havens, such as clearly marked 
United Nations schools and hospitals, have been hit by Israeli bombs or 
missiles, and at least one may have been hit by a Hamas rocket. Many 
people, including children, seeking shelter have been killed and 
injured as a result.
  During this same period, 56 Israeli soldiers have been killed, 400 
have been wounded, and 3 Israeli civilians have died.
  I sympathize with the argument that Israel had little choice but to 
respond forcefully to Hamas's rocket attacks. It is hard to imagine any 
government faced with a similar threat to its citizens not responding.
  I also support, as we all do, the Israeli Government's goal of 
eliminating Hamas's heavy weapons and destroying the dozens of tunnels 
that are used to smuggle them into Gaza and to enable Hamas fighters to 
sneak into Israel to kill Israelis.
  But this is not the first time Israel has sought to achieve these 
goals only to fall short, at great human cost. Operation Cast Lead in 
2008 resulted in 1,400 Palestinian deaths and the deaths of 3 Israeli 
civilians and 6 Israeli soldiers. Then in 2012 there was Operation 
Pillar of Defense. Each time, despite the destruction of Hamas's 
weapons, launchers, and command posts, Hamas remained in control of 
Gaza.
  After each of these operations, Hamas rearmed and is as determined 
today as it was 2 years ago. It does not appear that either goal, even 
if justified and laudable, can be achieved for the long term--if at 
all--without inflicting unacceptable civilian casualties.
  Israeli authorities stress that its army tries its best to avoid 
civilian casualties. They know the impact each innocent death has on 
world opinion and on the Palestinian people. Thousands of Palestinians 
in the West Bank, many of whom despise Hamas, have joined in 
demonstrations against Israel because of the loss of civilian lives in 
Gaza.
  But what is often ignored in the impassioned debate over this issue, 
including by those who rightly point out that the Israeli military at 
times provides prior warning to civilians of an imminent attack, is 
that Gaza is not like anywhere else. Its residents cannot flee to 
safety in a neighboring country, as millions of Syrians have done. They 
cannot even escape by boat. Shelters in Gaza that should be safe are 
not safe. The people of Gaza are, for all practical purposes, 
defenseless, trapped, and unable to avoid the violence.
  Hamas has insisted that it will not cease its attacks until Israel 
ends its export, import, and border restrictions on Gaza, which the 
people of Gaza, who lack safe water, sanitation, reliable electricity, 
and other basic necessities, say have made their daily lives nearly 
impossible. With each passing day, condemnation of the violence has 
intensified. Yet the death toll has continued to rise.
  I commend Secretary Kerry for his efforts to broker a humanitarian 
ceasefire. There never has been a military solution to the Israeli-
Palestinian conflict, and there is not one today. He deserves our 
strong support.
  If the ceasefire announced today holds and if the United States 
continues to serve as the principle diplomatic intermediary, there 
needs to be some new thinking regarding our negotiating strategy. We 
cannot afford another dozen years with nothing to show for it, with the 
chasm between Israelis and Palestinians even deeper, with radical 
extremists further emboldened, and yet another calamity like the one we 
are witnessing today.
  It is difficult to see how that will be prevented if Hamas continues 
to reject Israel's right to exist and refuses to renounce terrorism, 
which is fundamental to any solution that brings lasting peace and 
security to both Israelis and Palestinians, nor is it likely to be 
prevented absent a decision by Israel to substantially ease its 
economic restrictions on Gaza. That may be the only way to eliminate 
Hamas's excuse for its rocket attacks, to bring desperately needed 
economic development to Gaza, and to create the necessary conditions 
for the disarming of Hamas.
  With each passing day, the grave consequences for the people of Gaza 
and Israel, for stability in the region, and for the security of the 
United States have become more apparent. The White House should use 
every ounce of its influence to help bring this tragic chapter of 
history finally to an end.

                          ____________________