Brooklyn, NY – Today, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries released the following statement:

In order to arrive at a just and lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinian people, Hamas must be decisively defeated. The groundwork must also be laid to achieve a two-state solution that ensures security, dignity and prosperity for Israelis and Palestinians. On the path toward a permanent peace, the release of dozens of hostages and the implementation of a humanitarian pause in Gaza represent an important step forward. While there is much more work to be done, I am thankful for the leadership of President Joe Biden and his administration in facilitating a threshold agreement during these deeply challenging times. In the days and weeks to come, we must continue to aggressively push for the safe return of every single hostage and ensure that humanitarian assistance urgently reaches the Palestinian civilians who remain in harm’s way. Finally, Congress must act in a bipartisan fashion on the supplemental national security and humanitarian funding request made by the Biden administration as soon as possible. ###