Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Representative Jamie Raskin (MD-08) released the following statement.

“On this solemn day, 100 days since the horror of the October 7 terrorist attacks, we cannot lose sight of our moral and political imperative to secure the release of 130 Israelis, Americans and people of other nationalities who are still being held captive by Hamas and other terrorist groups in Gaza. International humanitarian law establishes that the taking of hostages is a war crime and a crime against humanity. It is a war crime to forcibly separate families like the Yaakov family I met in December, whose beloved Yair remains in Gaza. Yair is among the 130 hostages—including baby Kfir Bibas, who turned one year old while held captive in a war zone—who Hamas must immediately and safely reunite with their families.

“Meantime, Hamas must allow the Red Cross immediate, meaningful and sustained access to every hostage to address the deeply troubling reports of sexual violence perpetrated against women and girls held captive and the scarce food and water meted out to hostages. It is time for a diplomatic surge by the United States, Israel, Qatar, Egypt and a coalition of concerned nations to exert maximum pressure on Hamas to release the hostages as we seek effective diplomatic solutions to the widening war that has brutally claimed tens of thousands of both Palestinian and Israeli lives.”

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