U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) today condemned the continuing firing of deadly rockets into Israel by the terror group Hamas and the growing regional violence. In a statement last week, Rep. Pascrell called for an end to hostilities.

“The continued violence in the Middle East is horrifying the entire world. The Israelis and Palestinians must each urgently de-escalate to avoid a deadly war and prevent further civilian casualties. I am grateful for the Biden Administration’s continued responsible engagement to end the escalation and I support the President’s deployment of an envoy to the region.

“Deadly rocket attacks by Hamas into Israel are terrorism that puts innocent lives at risk. The nation of Israel has the right to defend itself from this terrorism. All parties though must seek to end the cycle of violence, which is causing loss of life and threatens to consume the entire region. Extremism, vicious rhetoric, and a heavy-handed response will only exacerbate the tensions in the region. Both parties must agree to a cease fire immediately."