Washington, DC – National Iranian American Council President Jamal Abdi issued the following statement regarding reports of a hostage release and temporary de-escalation of hostilities in Israel and Palestine, brokered by Qatar and the United States:
Anyone who has mourned the horrific loss of life and catastrophic civilian toll since October 7th should welcome this important step in the right direction.
“Today we take solace that hostages who had feared for their lives are being freed and the people of Palestine can get a desperately needed reprieve from the nightmare of brutal bombing and warfare. We also hope that this step will tamp down regional tensions that had risen dramatically and led to significant exchanges of fire between the U.S. and regional militias backed by Iran that risked a broader war.
“This should not just be a temporary pause in the bloodshed. This pause in the bombing must be expanded into a formal ceasefire that stops the bombing, secures the release of hostages, ends the risks of regional war and begins the long and hard roads of civilian recovery and building a sustainable peace. The choice before the world in the days to come is between a resumption of war, which risks expanding beyond the borders of Israel and Palestine and engulfing the entire region, and the beginning of the end of war. We must choose the road that leads to peace.”
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