Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) today issued the following statement on the ongoing situation in the Middle East:

“After the briefing we received, it is clear that the United States is standing fully with Israel.  We must recognize Israel’s right to defend itself from murderous terrorists.

“We are also assured that President Biden has negotiated the flow of humanitarian aid to Gazans.  We must minimize harm to innocent civilians in Gaza, even as Hamas uses Palestinian civilians as human shields.”

“The intelligence community has concluded that the tragic explosion at the hospital in Gaza was the result of an errant rocket launched by terrorists and not an Israeli airstrike.  Those who are responsible for that horrific attack must be held accountable for the devastation they’ve caused.”