Area lawmakers pledge support for Israel, want hostages released by Hamas

Oct. 20—Area lawmakers pledged their support Thursday for Israel in its ongoing war with Hamas.

As expected, the Israel-Hamas war was the main topic of discussion during individual media briefings with U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, D-Va., and U.S. Senator Mark Warner, D-Va.

Capito said she had the opportunity to talk with two American families who have relatives being held hostage by Hamas.

"The terrorist attack in Israel is still reverberating around the world," Capito said. "How inhumane, brutal and destructive Hamas was in murdering women, children and just terrorizing families. I just actually had the opportunity to talk to two American families that have hostages in Gaza. They know nothing about them."

Capito said the stories of those individuals taken hostage by Hamas are simply "gut-wrenching."

"Very, very horrible," Capito said. "A little 3-year-old-girl whose parents were both murdered, and she's been taken hostage. Another couple that has been taken hostage out of their home. An older couple. It's just unfathomable as to what we've seen. So we just need to denounce that and stand with Israel."

Capito said she remains committed to securing a release of the American hostages currently being held by Hamas

Capito also said Israel wasn't to blame for the hospital bombing in Gaza — and that it is important for everyone to understand this. She said American intelligence has concluded that it was instead a barrage fired by Palestinian militants that misfired and hit the hospital.

"That's the real story here and that is what our intelligence tells us and that is what the world needs to know — the real the story," Capito said.

Capito, who is backing the the Revoke Iranian Funding Act in the U.S. Senate, said the United States can't let Iran off the hook — or to access the $6 billion in funds the Biden administration wants to release to Iran. That funding is currently being held in Qatar, and the bill backed by Capito would rescind the general licenses that enabled the release of the $6 billion in funds to Iran.

"We can't let Iran off the hook here," Capito said. "They are funding Hamas. Their weapons are purchased by Iran. Their military training is performed by the Iranian military. They are an evil empire at its worst and having funded this Hamas attack."

Both U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, D-Va., and U.S. Senator Mark Warner, D-Va., applauded President Joe Biden for visiting Israel Wednesday during their individual media briefings. They also stressed the importance of showing empathy for Palestinian citizens who are caught in the middle of the war.

"I think it was very appropriate that President Biden went and said we stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Israel," Warner said. "Against these terrorists."

However, at the same time, Warner said it is important to show "empathy to the Palestinian citizens" living in Gaza, adding that Hamas "has been brutal to those citizens living in Gaza."

Warner also called for the release of the American hostages. He said the United States has two carrier strike groups — both ported out of Norfolk, Va. — that are either already in or on their way to the region.

Kaine also applauded Biden for traveling to Israel in the middle of the war.

"I am very proud the president took this visit, which was a tough visit into a war zone, to express both his solidarity with Israel, but also to share the American experience," Kaine said. "The American experience is when you are a victim of a terrorist attack you should firmly and strongly defend yourself against the perpetuator. But you need to do so strategically, and there is nothing weak about being strategic."

Kaine said it is important to remember that Gaza is not the same as Hamas.

"An awful lot of Palestinians and an awful lot of people who live in Gaza are not Hamas," Kaine said. "They hate Hamas. They are victimized by Hamas and are essentially held hostage by Hamas in Gaza. So you need to make sure the battle is going against those that mean you harm, but also to take all necessary steps to minimize the consequences to those who aren't perpetuators in the attack. And I think the president emphasized that very strong."

— Contact Charles Owens at cowens@bdtonline.com

— Contact Charles Owens at cowens@bdtonline.com. Follow him @BDTOwens