Van Hollen Statement on Agreement to Release Hostages, Establish Ceasefire

Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) released the following statement regarding the deal reached between Israel and Hamas to release the hostages and establish a ceasefire in Gaza.

"On October 7, 2023 Hamas murdered over 1,200 people, seized over 250 hostages, and committed acts of sexual violence. This heinous terrorist attack - and the bloodshed it caused - will forever scar both the Israeli people and the people of our nation. We will never forget the lives taken that day - and those of the hostages who have been murdered since. This war has also claimed the lives of more than 46,000 Palestinians, over half of them women and children, and resulted in an ongoing humanitarian disaster that has left hundreds of thousands on the brink of starvation, vulnerable to disease, and without homes and access to basic necessities like medicine and clean water.

"I've met with the families of hostages both here and in Israel. I have also met with Israelis who lost loved ones on October 7th and Palestinians who lost loved ones during the war in Gaza. Today's announcement will finally deliver many of those held in captivity back to their loved ones and marks a beginning to the end of the horrible suffering in Gaza. While I had hoped this agreement would be secured many months ago, I appreciate the Biden Administration's continued efforts to achieve it.

"In this moment, we must also work to create some light at the end of what has been a long, dark tunnel. That begins with the urgent need to surge humanitarian aid and reconstruction assistance to the people of Gaza. It also means ensuring security, self-determination, and dignity for both the Israeli and Palestinian peoples. That includes ensuring that a reformed Palestinian Authority, which has long supported peaceful co-existence with the State of Israel, serves as the nucleus of governance in Gaza and moving to secure a two-state solution coupled with the normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries.

"What we do next will determine the future of the region for generations to come. The United States must take real and deliberative action, informed by our past mistakes, to build the possibility of a brighter future."