Israel war: House Democrat suggests Obama as person to free hostages from Hamas
November 07, 2023 01:23 PM
A House Democrat called for former President Barack Obama to be sent as a chief negotiator to free the hostages held by Hamas.
In a statement on Tuesday, Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-MI) called for a 72-hour “humanitarian ceasefire” in Gaza to negotiate the release of the roughly 240 hostages held by Hamas and to facilitate the surrender of the terror group’s leaders. He asked President Joe Biden to appoint a chief negotiator for the task, suggesting the ideal candidate would be the president’s former boss.
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“Today, I am calling on Israel to institute a 72-hour humanitarian pause to negotiate the release of the hostages held by Hamas and the surrender of Hamas leaders responsible for the Oct. 7 attack,” Thanedar said. “During this pause, President Biden should appoint a chief negotiator to bring all parties to the table. I can think of no one better than former President Barack Obama to lead these efforts. If, at the end of 72 hours, no sufficient progress has been made, Israel should resume its military operations with the goal of destroying Hamas while minimizing civilian casualties.”
(AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)
He concluded by stressing the right of Israel to defend itself and said that in calling for a pause, Israel would force Hamas’s hand to show it is acting in good faith in doing its part to protect Gazans.
Democratic Rep. Shri Thanedar calls for a 72-hour humanitarian pause in Gaza, says Biden should appoint Obama as chief negotiator to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas. pic.twitter.com/dsNPafc7hi
— Andrew Solender (@AndrewSolender) November 7, 2023
Obama has drawn criticism for his recent comments on the war in Gaza, which critics say are overly critical of Israel.
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“If you want to solve the problem, then you have to take in the whole truth. And you then have to admit nobody’s hands are clean, that all of us are complicit to some degree,” the former president said in an interview on Pod Save America.
While denouncing the Hamas Oct. 7 attack against Israel, Obama added that “the occupation and what’s happening to Palestinians” was also “unbearable.”