Hamas should understand that delaying or impeding hostage negotiations will come at a cost, House Republican leadership said in a statement Thursday morning.
The statement, from House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX), Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) said, “It is despicable that Hamas continues to hold over 130 innocent civilians hostage, including American citizens, nearly half a year later.”
The leaders urged Qatar and Egypt to use all of their leverage to “immediately secure the release of the hostages on reasonable terms.”
“There must be tangible, severe consequences for delaying or impeding negotiations, and Hamas should understand that delays or further harm to these civilians will come at a cost. Lives are at stake and time is of the essence. Continued negotiations should carry a vital sense of urgency,” according to the statement.