CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Washington is getting pressure from local groups for a ceasefire in Gaza.
The Chicago chapter of the National Iranian American Council said in a news release that more than 15 organizations with a presence in Illinois wrote a letter to Senator Tammy Duckworth and Senator Dick Durbin to "support a ceasefire in Gaza as well as further legislative initiatives to ensure that U.S. military aid to Israel and other countries complies with U.S. and international law."
The coalition is part of a national campaign taking part in 17 states and includes peace, anti-war, faith-based, and other organizations such as World BEYOND War, Chicago Area Peace Action, Buddhist Peace Fellowship, Students for Justice in Palestine among others.
The groups called Israel's military actions in Gaza disasterous in the letter.
"Ending the assault is the best way to get all the hostages released, set the stage for diplomacy to find a solution to the seemingly endless cycle of violence in Israel-Palestine, and avert an escalation to a full blown war."
The groups also urged both senators to co-sponsor and vote for a resolution reaffirming Section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act, which requires a report on Israel’s human rights practices in employing U.S. military aid.
The Gaza Health Ministry said Saturday that 135 Palestinians were killed in the last 24 hours, bringing the overall death toll of the war to 23,843. The count does not differentiate between combatants and civilians, but the ministry has said about two-thirds of the dead are women and children, according to the Associated Press.
The ministry said the total number of war-wounded surpassed 60,000. Israel's ground and air offensive was triggered by the Oct. 7 attack in which Hamas and other militants killed some 1,200 people in the country, mostly civilians.
About 250 more were taken hostage, and while some have been released or confirmed dead, more than half are believed to still be in captivity.
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