This Tuesday, relatives of the hostages held captive in Gaza by Hamas joined with Republicans in the House of Representatives to hold a press conference. They gave shocking testimonies and made a clear request to the government to collaborate in the release of the American hostages.
“It’s been 30 days. Every day is like an eternity to me,” said Doris Liber, mother of a 26-year-old man who disappeared on October 7. The woman, through tears, stated that she still does not know if her son is kidnapped in Gaza or if he was murdered. She also recalled that when she talked to him on the day of the massacre, she heard gunshots and the young man described a terrifying scenario, with corpses everywhere. "We don’t have a list of the hostages, we don’t know their condition. I don’t have anything, so I need your help,” Liber said.
“This is a wake-up call, Not only for Israel, not only for the Jewish community. This is a wake-up call for all of you, all of you here, all of America, all of Europe. You are next," said Yonatan Lulu-Shamriz, brother of Alon Shamriz, a young man kidnapped by Hamas.
The risk of a terrorist attack in the United States has increased
At a Senate hearing on Tuesday, Oct. 31, FBI Director Christopher Wray said the threat of a terrorist attack on the United States has risen to a "whole other level" amid the war between Israel and Hamas. He assured that this is a time to be vigilant.
"The reality is that the terrorism threat has been elevated throughout 2023, but the ongoing war in the Middle East has raised the threat of an attack against Americans in the United States to a whole other level," the FBI director said.
After the massacre of October 7, Hamas has called on its followers around the world to carry out terrorist attacks. In different parts of the United States, security has been reinforced around Jewish communities and concern has risen that the country could be the victim of a terrorist attack.
Last week in Texas, a Jordanian national who was allegedly planning an attack on Houston's Jewish community was arrested. Federal officials said the man had been seeking information on how to build bombs and had made public his support for the killing of Jews.
“He has viewed specific and detailed content posted by radical organizations on the internet, including lessons on how to construct bombs or explosive devices,” the FBI director detailed.
Biden administration criticized for calling for a 'humanitarian pause'
In recent days, President Biden's administration has called on Israel's government to take a "humanitarian pause," insisting that Israel delay its ground attack on Gaza, but Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, has said he will not suspend operations unless the hostages are not handed over.
Different voices have rejected the Biden administration's call, ensuring that a pause is actually a ceasefire. Israel's military has claimed that a "pause" would give Hamas terrorists time to prepare. The Israeli prime minister stated that calling for a ceasefire would be akin to surrendering to terrorists, and that such a thing "will not happen."
Republican Senator Ted Cruz called the push for a humanitarian pause "obscene." Cruz said that "Biden poured hundreds of millions of dollars toward Hamas, which then massacred 1,400 Israelis and dozens of Americans. Now he's pressing Israel to stand down so Hamas can regroup."
In the House of Representatives, Republicans have also rejected the idea of a humanitarian "pause" promoted by the current administration. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said “This is not a time to be talking about cease-fires, pauses.” He added that “the state of Israel has a right to exist and to defend its people, and Israel is completely justified in its mission to eradicate Hamas once and for all.”
