US senator calls for ‘indefinite cease-fire’ in Gaza

WASHINGTON (AA) – A Democratic US senator called Tuesday for an “indefinite” cease-fire in Gaza to “prevent further loss of civilian life.”

In a statement, Peter Welch, from the state of Vermont, said although he supports Israel’s right to pursue those who carried out the Oct. 7 attacks, Israel “must not do so in a way that leads to massive civilian casualties and large-scale destruction of civilian infrastructure in Gaza.”

“This will only incite more enemies against Israel and the US,” he said. “For this reason, the cease-fire must be extended indefinitely.”

Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas agreed to an initial four-day truce Friday. It was extended Monday for an additional two days.

Negotiators are working on an additional extension which US President Joe Biden has said he is seeking to broker.

“The impact of the conflict in the Middle East has reverberated across the world, and we’ve seen the effects here at home in the form of Islamophobia and antisemitism,” Senator Welch said in the statement, noting the brutal murder of a six-year-old Palestinian child in Chicago and the shooting of three Palestinian-American students in the state of Vermont.

“This cycle of fear, intimidation and violence must end,” he said.

“The cease-fire must be extended first and foremost to stop the bombing and prevent further loss of civilian life. The United States cannot condone a resumption of the bombing when it causes death and injury to so many civilians,” he said.

Israel launched a massive military campaign in the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7.

It has since killed over 15,000 people, including 6,150 children and 4,000 women, according to health authorities in the enclave.

The official Israeli death toll stands at 1,200.