FIRST ON FOX: Over one-third of U.S. senators are calling on American United Nations Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield to introduce a decision to label the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas a terrorist group.
Senators James Lankford, R-Okla., and Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., despatched Thomas-Greenfield the Thursday letter with 32 of their colleagues from each facet of the aisle urgent the ambassador to deliver up a decision to the U.N. Safety Council recognizing Hamas as a terrorist group and imposing sanctions on them.
The senators praised Thomas-Greenfield’s “unequivocal condemnation of Hamas’ terrorism” and her “help for Israel’s proper to defend its individuals.” However they stated current “occasions have demonstrated that Hamas’ actions, techniques, and acknowledged targets are in some ways indistinguishable from Al Qaeda, ISIS, and different terrorist organizations” that the U.N. has already sanctioned.
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Senators James Lankford, R-Okay., and Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., despatched American U.N. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield the letter on Thursday urgent her to deliver up a decision to the U.N. Safety Council recognizing Hamas as a terrorist group and imposing sanctions on them. (Lankford Press Workplace)
“Due to this fact, we write to induce you to deliver a decision to the UN Safety Council recognizing and imposing sanctions on Hamas as a terrorist group,” the senators wrote.
Lankford and Rosen described the October 7 assaults on Israel the place “1000’s of Hamas terrorists launched assaults, together with on civilian communities, in southern Israel, brutally murdering 1,400 harmless individuals and wounding 4,500 others” and famous that “Hamas kidnapped over 240 males, ladies, and kids – starting from infants to Holocaust survivors.”
“Hamas terrorists have dedicated and proceed to commit abhorrent assaults that not solely affect Israelis but additionally instantly affect Individuals residents, with not less than 32 Individuals killed and numerous extra held in captive because of the terrorist assault on October 7. Actually, Hamas hostages come from 25 nations world wide. Hamas’ reign of terror is not only an Israeli downside, however one which impacts us all.”
The senators wrote that, since October 1997, “the U.S. Division of Treasury has designated Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), and the Well-liked Entrance for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) as International Terrorist Organizations” and that “these teams have been listed as Specifically Designated International Terrorists (SDGTs) since October 2001.”
Lankford and Rosen famous the October 7 assaults on Israel the place “1000’s of Hamas terrorists launched assaults, together with on civilian communities, in southern Israel, brutally murdering 1,400 harmless individuals and wounding 4,500 others” and that “Hamas kidnapped over 240 males, ladies, and kids – starting from infants to Holocaust survivors.” (Madeline Carter/Las Vegas Evaluate-Journal/Tribune Information Service by way of Getty Photos)
Lankford and Rosen famous that quite a few “different nations and worldwide entities rightfully have designated Hamas as a terrorist group, together with Australia, Canada, the European Union, Japan, Israel, the Group of American States, Paraguay, New Zealand, and the UK” and famous that Switzerland is “exploring authorized avenues to designate Hamas as a terrorist entity.”
The lawmakers additionally warned there “are a number of penalties of the UN not recognizing Hamas as terrorist organizations.”
“First, the dearth of a unified voice among the many worldwide neighborhood dangers eroding the UN’s credibility in response to one of many worst terrorist assaults in historical past. Moreover, as the biggest monetary contributor to the UN, the U.S. should take pressing motion to forestall the movement of funds into the arms of Hamas. The absence of UN sanctions on Hamas is a evident loophole, circumventing U.S. monetary controls, such because the rigorous requirements set by the U.S. Division of Treasury, doubtlessly permitting Hamas to evade U.S. sanctions.”
“Moreover, the dearth of UN sanctions on Hamas allows them to bolster their capabilities by exploiting worldwide monetary channels, together with accessing monetary techniques and soliciting donations from charities,” they continued.
The senators praised Thomas-Greenfield’s “unequivocal condemnation of Hamas’ terrorism” and her “help for Israel’s proper to defend its individuals” (AP Picture/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)
“We’re additionally involved {that a} lack of UN sanctions allows Hamas to divert humanitarian help for malicious intent, which deprives harmless Palestinian civilians of essential help whereas concurrently strengthening offensive capabilities used to assault Israel,” Lankford and Rosen continued.
The lawmakers wrote that “Hamas continues to divert help meant for civilians with a purpose to fund its operations by” imposing “‘taxes’ on humanitarian consignments at border checkpoints,” promoting donated items meant to go to Palestinian civilians “and later promoting them illicitly for monetary acquire,” plus “repurposing humanitarian services, like water and sewage parts, to create rockets and missiles.”
“We subsequently request you deliver ahead a UN decision to acknowledge and sanction Hamas as a terrorist group,” they concluded the letter. “Thanks on your consideration, and we look ahead to your well timed response.”
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Becoming a member of Lankford and Rosen on the letter are 32 of their Senate colleagues from either side of the aisle, together with Republican Senators Chuck Grassley of Iowa, Marco Rubio of Florida, Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, and Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee.
Democratic Senators Alex Padilla of California, Mark Kelly of Arizona, and Cory Booker, in addition to impartial Senator Kyrsten Sinema, additionally signed onto the letter.
The USA Mission to the U.N. didn’t instantly reply to Fox Information Digital’s request for remark.
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