BURLINGTON, VT — U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) today released the following reaction to President Biden’s announcement of a ceasefire deal to stop fighting between Hezbollah and Israel: 

“The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah, brokered by the United States and France and announced today, is an encouraging step forward after months of fighting. It should offer hope for a path toward peace in the Middle East. 

“I believe—as President Biden said—that ‘peace is possible.’ I urge Israel and Hamas to also reach a ceasefire deal in Gaza, where is it urgently needed. 

“The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza is escalating daily and suffering is unrelenting. More than 43,390 are dead and many more are injured. Homes, schools, hospitals, and mosques in Gaza and Lebanon have been reduced to rubble. Acute hunger and malnutrition are widespread. Thousands of children and caregivers are waiting for emergency medical transport out of Gaza. This man-made humanitarian catastrophe is being inflicted on innocent women, children, families, and aid workers. 

“A ceasefire with Hezbollah is good news and a step forward for this traumatized region. A ceasefire with Hamas must be next. It is long past time to end this war.” 

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