Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., told Newsmax on Thursday that Israelis and Palestinians must start "negotiating directly" with each other to end the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
During an interview on Thursday on Newsmax's "National Report," Daines reacted to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the warnings by doctors and aid workers that "mass death" is likely without increased access to food and aid, and the claims that Israel's offensive campaign and aid restrictions have caused the crisis.
Daines pushed back on these claims, blaming Hamas and claiming that the situation illustrates "why a two-state solution can fail."
The senator said, "We all agree with the horrible plight of those innocent Palestinians there in Gaza who are suffering as a result of Hamas. And if we want to see an example of why a two-state solution can fail, look no further than Gaza."
He said, "Back in 2005, when the Israeli forces withdrew from Gaza and allowed them to have their autonomy, that is when Hamas stepped in, radicalized, won elections, took control of Gaza, and the people suffer because you had terrorists leading the country.
"This is why Israel has always said they're open to a two-state solution," he continued. "But this solution starts with Israel and the Palestinians negotiating directly, and it starts with the Palestinians accepting the fact that the Jewish state of Israel has a right to exist. That's where the true peace negotiations would begin."
He added that "this is a negotiation between the Palestinians and Israel," and said Canada, the United Kingdom, and France, which are set to formally recognize Palestine as an independent state, "should stay out of it."
Daines said, "This is a moment when Israel needs to do what it needs to do to eradicate Hamas. That is the fastest way to stop the suffering that's going on right now in Gaza with these innocent Palestinians."
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Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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