Congressmember Jayapal joins call for ceasefire in Israel and Gaza

U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) joined a call for a ceasefire in Israel and Gaza Tuesday.

In a statement posted to social media, Jayapal joined six other members of Congress to advocate for, at a minimum, a temporary cessation in the fighting to save civilian lives.

The representatives who signed the letter argued a ceasefire would give both sides time to negotiate for the safe return of hostages, including Americans, and the delivery of humanitarian aid.

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"Let us be clear: Our call for a ceasefire should not be mistaken as a lack of support for the protection of the people of Israel," the representatives wrote. "To the contrary, it is because of our dedication to the safety of both Israelis and Palestinians that we seek a path forward without further escalating the toll of civilians dead and injured."

Jayapal told KUOW one of her main focuses is getting American citizens trapped in Gaza out, including a Seattle constituent who has been doing humanitarian work there.

Jayapal said that she shares the heartbreak of her Jewish constituents in the wake of Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israeli civilians, and called Hamas a terrorist group.

"I have Muslim and Palestinian American constituents who are also heartbroken and watching hate crimes start to come out against both Jews and Muslims here. And I just want to say I think our community has to rise to a deeper level of humanity," Jayapal said.

Other members of the Washington state congressional delegation disagree with the call for a ceasefire.

U.S. Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) told KUOW reporter Casey Martin that a ceasefire would prevent Israel from defending itself from further attacks by Hamas.

“That, basically, would give Hamas blanket protection," Smith said. "I don't think it's the right policy at this point.”

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As of this publishing, nearly 1,400 Israelis and at least 3,300 Palestinians have been killed. More are missing, injured or dead after a hospital blast in Gaza, according to NPR.

The hospital blast — and the letter supporting a ceasefire from Jayapal and others — came just hours before President Joe Biden arrived in Tel Aviv Tuesday. He visited the country to reaffirm U.S. support for Israel as it prepares for a ground assault in Gaza. He also urged restraint as Israel retaliates, endangering Palestinian civilians who cannot escape the area.

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"Justice must be done," Biden said. "But I caution this: While you feel that rage, don't be consumed by it. After 9/11, we were enraged in the United States while we sought justice and got justice. We also made mistakes."

At Biden's urging, Israel agreed to allow limited humanitarian aid into Gaza.

Update notice, 10:15 a.m. on Thursday, 10/19/23: This story has been updated to include new comments from U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal.