Hundreds of Biden administration employees signed a letter demanding that the Biden administration change its policy toward the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. The effort came as Israel has captured significant territory from the terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip.
The letter calling for President Joe Biden to push for a ceasefire in the Middle East conflict collected 400 signatures from within the Biden administration. This included more than three dozen different agencies and departments in Washington.
The signatories demanded that Biden “urgently demand a ceasefire” in the conflict. The letter also requests a “call for de-escalation of the current conflict by securing the immediate release of the Israeli hostages and arbitrarily detained Palestinians.”
Furthermore, the federal employees and appointees called for Israel to stop its current partial blockade of the Palestinian territory and called for “the passage of adequate humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.”
Secretary of State Antony Blinken moved to address rising criticism within the State Department ranks over the Biden administration's policy on the Israel-Hamas war, as hundreds of US government employees have advocated for a ceasefire in Gaza https://t.co/3A1PcJdkr2
— Reuters (@Reuters) November 14, 2023
The United States has diplomatically backed Israel in the ongoing conflict, as have a number of other governments.
However, the United Nations passed a resolution condemning Israeli settlements in the West Bank. While 151 nations voted in favor of the measure, only the United States, several Pacific nations, Israel and Canada voted against the measure.
There were 11 abstentions.
Syria had proposed the measure, with its ambassador telling the body that the lands settled by Israel were “Arab lands.”
“They will return to their original legitimate owners sooner or later,” the diplomat said.
Despite the resolution, the United Nations has not condemned Hamas or the Oct. 7 attack that killed more than 1,300 people.
The conflict in Gaza continues, with Israel claiming much of the strip’s northern portion. Recently, Israeli soldiers captured the Hamas parliament building. Furthermore, Israel is systematically targeting a number of Hamas tunnels traditionally used by fighters and to smuggle weapons.
Despite the calls for a cease-fire, the White House has not accepted the demands of the signatories of the letter.
