Representative Adriano Espaillat's Statement on the Release of Hostages and Humanitarian Pause
WASHINGTON, DC -- Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) issued the following statement in response to the humanitarian pause in Gaza.
"I am grateful for President Biden’s steadfast leadership amid the Israel-Hamas war and for his dedicated perseverance to bring home 50 individuals who had been held hostage since the October 7th attack, including four-year-old Abigail Mor Edan, the youngest American girl held by Hamas terrorists. Through these efforts, the Biden Administration helped usher this humanitarian pause and extension to allow much needed relief and critical aid to innocent Palestinian civilians in Gaza and permit ongoing negotiations safely.
As we continue to urge for the safe return of the remaining 200 hostages, including several Americans, we must do all that it takes to ensure their safe return and reunification with their families.
Violence and crimes of hate must never be tolerated, and we have witnessed an unprecedented rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia here in the U.S. I was deeply saddened by the senseless targeted attack of three college students of Palestinian descent that occurred over this past weekend, and others who have been violently targeted.
As we move forward, I vow to continue my efforts in collaboration with the Biden Administration and my congressional colleagues to help bring all of the remaining hostages, including the nine Americans, home safely, and to further the ongoing much needed humanitarian pause to allow aid and resources to Gaza and continued diplomacy to help stabilize the region.
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Representative Espaillat is the first Dominican American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives and his congressional district includes Harlem, East Harlem, West Harlem, Hamilton Heights, Washington Heights, Inwood, Marble Hill and the north-west Bronx. First elected to Congress in 2016, Representative Espaillat is serving his fourth term in Congress. Representative Espaillat currently serves as a member of the influential U.S. House Committee on Appropriations responsible for funding the federal government’s vital activities and serves as Ranking Member of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee of the committee during the 118th Congress. He is also a member of the House Budget Committee and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), where he serves in a leadership role as the Deputy Chair as well as Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI). Rep. Espaillat is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) and serves as a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus. To find out more about Rep. Espaillat, visit online at https://espaillat.house.gov/.
Media inquiries: Candace Person at [email protected]
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