24 House Democrats urge U.S. president to call for Gaza cease-fire

Twenty-four Democratic representatives in the House on Wednesday voiced "deep concern" over the conflict in the Gaza Strip, and urged President Joe Biden to call for a cease-fire in the Palestinian enclave.

Sending a letter to Biden, the members, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Betty McCollum, said "grave violations" occurred against children in Gaza.

Without immediate cessation of hostilities, they stressed that the war would lead to further loss of civilian life and risk dragging the U.S. into "dangerous and unwise" conflict with armed groups across the Middle East.

"Further, we write urging clarity on your strategic objectives for achieving de-escalation and stability in the region," they wrote.

Emphasizing the children's rights, the House members highlighted that international norms require that all parties to an armed conflict protect children, and prevent the commission of grave violations against them.

While welcoming the Biden administration's goals of seeing a major expansion of humanitarian supplies arriving into Gaza, the representatives said: "It has had limited impact on the ground so far and, we believe, risks undermining the United States' own credibility in the region.

"We urge an immediate cessation of hostilities in order to stop the bombing and provide much-needed relief to Palestinian civilians."

The members stressed that there is no military solution that will end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and urged Biden administration to obtain clarity on the specific strategic objectives of a large-scale ground invasion.

"Given the present lack of an apparent and clear strategic plan, we encourage a redoubling of efforts to achieve rapid de-escalation through a ceasefire and robust, regional engagement that includes international humanitarian organizations," they said in the letter.

As the Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip entered its 40th day, Biden has been unwavering in his support for Israel.

Since Oct. 7, at least 11,320 Palestinians have been killed, including over 7,800 women and children, and more than 29,200 others have been injured, according to the latest figures from Palestinian authorities.

Thousands of buildings, including hospitals, mosques, and churches, have also been damaged or destroyed in Israel's relentless air and ground attacks on the besieged enclave since last month.

The Israeli death toll, meanwhile, is around 1,200, according to official figures.