Senator Boxer on the situation in Gaza

June 26, 2007

Earlier this month, I joined a bipartisan group of more than 30 Senators in expressing grave concern about the deteriorating situation in Gaza. In a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, we pointed out that the influx of sophisticated weapons into Gaza was dangerous for both Palestinians and Israelis, and we urged Secretary Rice to press the government of Egypt to do more to secure its border with Gaza.

Our letter states that “these weapons are increasingly being used by Hamas and other terrorist groups to target Israel and wreck havoc upon Gaza.” It is very troubling that terrorists continue to fire rockets into Israel and that hundreds of Palestinians have been killed as the result of internal Palestinian fighting.

Last week, the terrorist group Hamas took effective control of Gaza after a series of violent battles with the Fatah faction of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. As such, it is now more important than ever to ensure that weapons and terrorists are not being smuggled into Gaza.

As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I will continue to work on this important issue and to encourage peace with security in the Middle East.

Sincerely,

Barbara Boxer
United States Senator

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