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Floor Speech

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Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, it has been 2 months since the horrific Hamas attack that killed 1,200 innocent Israelis and saw another 240 people taken hostage--some of them Americans, including Hersh Goldberg- Polin with family in my State of Illinois.

For anyone who watched 60 Minutes this past weekend, the ordeal shared by one of the released hostages was harrowing and almost unimaginable. These hostages have been subjected to brutal physical and psychological torture. Some 115 hostages are believed to still be held, and I have long called for a humanitarian pause by both sides that includes the release of all the hostages as quickly as possible.

I believe this remains the right path forward, and I hope our government will pursue this goal. But make no mistake, this Hamas attack was a reminder that there are still those who do not recognize Israel's right to exist. I do; and I understand their right to self- defense.

But what has happened since October 7 raises larger questions about how Israel should defend itself, how it should retaliate and address the long-term need for two neighboring people to learn to live in peace.

Early in this conflict, I urged Israel to learn from our mistakes in the United States after the deadly attacks on September 11, to not make the mistakes in the fog of their rage and pain that we made. I fear some of the important lessons we learned the hard way may not have been heeded by this Israeli Government.

While Israel has every right to defend itself, the humanitarian toll inflicted on the people of Gaza has been of historic magnitude and increasingly becomes counterproductive to Israel's long-term security.

We are nearing an estimated 20,000 deaths in Gaza. A significant majority of those are not Hamas fighters--they are innocent women and children.

Last week, the leaders of some of the world's top relief organizations wrote in the New York Times:

More children have been reported killed in this conflict than in all major global conflicts combined last year.

Hospitals have had to try to treat civilians without the most basic medicines, using only Tylenol for pain management--even in amputations--and vinegar as a disinfectant of last resort.

There are growing fears that disease outbreaks will soon replace the war as the primary cause of death in Gaza. This is simply not an acceptable strategy.

Over the last few weeks, I have spoken to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, UN Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths, and Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry about reopening hospitals under third-party monitoring.

I have also raised the humanitarian toll directly with Israeli officials. Basic medical needs, beyond treating the wounded, are staggering and include curbing a potential infectious disease outbreak and caring for thousands of expectant mothers.

As such, I again call on Hamas and Israel to stand down from all military actions around Gaza's hospital and allow them to function and be resupplied under a credible, third-party monitor.

I also continue to remind our Israeli allies that any U.S. military assistance must be used in accordance with the laws of war; and, as such, I have joined Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland on an amendment to the proposed National Security Supplemental reinforcing this basic point.

The burden is higher in times of war for democracies, but adherence to such norms is what makes democracy distinct.

This horrible conflict has caused so much suffering and is a wake-up call to the need for a two-State solution that allows for a viable Palestinian State living in peace side by side with a secure Israel.

For years, I have warned that despite heroic efforts at such an agreement, spoilers on both sides have repeatedly undermined progress. So we have two challenges, one very immediate: End the suffering and release the remaining hostages immediately; and the second, finally commit to finding a two-State peace agreement.

This will take leadership from both Palestinians and Israelis. And let me be blunt: I do not see the current leadership of either having the vision or political will to take this desperately needed step.

But it is the only way forward. It is the only way that the region and international community will fully commit to helping rebuild Gaza and support a unified Palestinian leadership. It is the only way to end the threat of violence and bring a future of hope to both Israel and the Palestinian people.

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