AOC says cease-fire with Hamas in charge is needed to save civilian lives

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said she would accept a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war that would leave the militant group in charge of Gaza in order to save civilian lives.

Ms. Ocasio-Cortez said Sunday on MSNBC’s “The Mehdi Hasan Show” that “in the immediate sense, we have to have a pause in what is going on.”

“It’s absolutely not a defense of Hamas in order to criticize this current approach — this indiscriminate, violent approach,” the New York Democrat said. 

She said Hamas’ assaults are “horrific,” but Israel’s counter attacks are not the right response.

“Hamas has absolutely engaged in horrific attacks, and every single day, there are more details that are released about what occurred on Oct. 7 that shocks the human consciousness and shocks our collective conscious,” she said. “However, we do know, as well, that war crimes do not constitute and are not an appropriate response for other war crimes.”

Ms. Ocasio-Cortez and other members of Congress’ far-left “Squad” have been called out for their stances on the Israel-Hamas war. Some have called for stopping aid to Israel and a cease-fire.

Last week, Democratic Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Andre Carson of Indiana, Summer Lee of Pennsylvania and Delia Ramirez of Illinois introduced the “Ceasefire Now Resolution.” It calls on the Biden administration to “immediately call for and facilitate deescalation and a cease-fire” and “promptly send and facilitate the entry of humanitarian assistance into Gaza.” Ms. Ocasio-Cortez and others have joined in on the resolution.

Other Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer of New York, have said they give full support to Israel and will work swiftly to get the country aid funds.

“When we are talking about the blockading of water, food, electricity, to a population of 2.2 million Palestinians … the dropping and deployment of white phosphorus, which is also a war crime, it is unacceptable to think that 1,700 Palestinian children alone, that their deaths will somehow make up or justify the violence of what we saw on Oct. 7,” Ms. Ocasio-Cortez said on MSNBC.

More than 1,400 people have been killed in Israel, mostly in the surprise attack by Hamas on Oct. 7. The Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza says more than 4,300 Palestinians have been killed.

“One of the things that’s important to recognize about this situation is the asymmetry of what is going on, as well as the collective punishment of what is happening to the Palestinian people at this moment,” Ms. Ocasio-Cortez said.