Dem Sen. Murphy: Israel ‘Needs to’ Stop Fighting and ‘Focus on Restoring Order’ — ‘Hope’ Hostages Can Be Released

On Thursday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “Alex Wagner Tonight,” Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) stated that “Israel needs to stop military operations right now and focus on restoring order and combating famine” without any conditions on releasing the hostages held by Hamas, but he hopes there is some deal to release the hostages.

Murphy stated, “I have come to the conclusion that there needs to be an immediate pause to hostilities. I would not condition it upon the release of the hostages. I hope that there is an agreement between Hamas and Israel with intermediaries that allows for the release of the hostages. But I think that the humanitarian situation on the ground is so dire today, with famine lurking, that Israel needs to stop military operations right now and focus on restoring order and combating famine. That’s my position. The administration takes a different position that they will articulate at the U.N. tomorrow. I don’t think my position will be changed by Netanyahu’s appearance, but I don’t know that we should block him from coming and explaining his position. We’re a body that welcomes open dialogue, and we should have that dialogue, even with leaders that we don’t have full agreement with.”

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