In a visible display of support, a contingent of at least nine Democratic lawmakers donned blue attire at the Capitol on Wednesday to express solidarity with the Israeli hostages still being held by the Hamas terrorist group, The Hill reported.
"I wore blue today with my colleagues to stand in solidarity with the Israeli hostages because enough is enough," Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., posted on X Wednesday.
"It's time we bring back the hostages. And we will wear blue every Wednesday until the hostages are released," she added.
Families of the hostages still held by Hamas joined House lawmakers in a plea for their release ahead of Thursday's State of The Union address.
Wilson shared a photo of herself clad in a blue pantsuit, flanked by Democratic Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida, Emilia Strong Sykes of Ohio, Debbie Dingell of Michigan, Dan Goldman of New York, Kathy Manning of North Carolina, Jennifer McClellan of Virginia, Nikema Williams of Georgia, and Brad Schneider of Illinois, according to The Hill.
Wasserman Schultz said the onus lies with Hamas to accept a temporary cease-fire deal reportedly agreed upon by Israel over the weekend.
"The ball is in Hamas' court here," Wasserman Schultz said during Wednesday's press conference. "We have to tell Hamas to accept this deal right now."
According to a U.S. official, the proposed deal entails a six-week cease-fire and the release of hostages deemed at risk. Additionally, it would facilitate increased humanitarian aid to Gaza, which has suffered extensive damage from Israel's military operations.
Reportedly, more than 30,000 Palestinians have lost their lives. And hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have been displaced as Israel seeks to dismantle Hamas following the group's Oct. 7 attack, which claimed over 1,200 lives in southern Israel.
According to The Washington Post, the Israeli government has said 253 people were taken hostage during the Oct. 7 assaults. More than 100 hostages were released during a weeklong cease-fire late last year.
Calls for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas conflict have intensified among several Democrats, with progressive members publicly critiquing President Joe Biden's handling of the situation.
The divide between the two factions of the party, which deepened last month, has the potential to influence the election as Biden seeks to unite Arab Americans, Muslims, and progressive young voters, all of whom have previously backed him, The Hill reported.
"President Biden has a made a massive miscalculation to align more closely with Netanyahu's far-right government than a majority of Democratic voters who support a cease-fire and oppose sending more bombs and weapons to the Israeli military," said Usamah Andrabi, the communications director for Justice Democrats.
"Biden is barreling us towards another endless war while average voters across the political spectrum are watching the bodies of almost 3,500 Palestinian children pile up at the hands of weapons paid for by their taxpayer dollar," Andrabi added. "They want no part in the internationally condemned ethnic cleansing campaign of a right-wing foreign government."
The families of the hostages urged lawmakers and their staff to wear yellow ribbons and dog tags in a show of solidarity with the hostages during Biden's State of the Union on March 7.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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