US Senator calls on Israel to 'release' funds
In the US, Democratic Senator from Virginia Mark Warner has advised Israel to "release some of the funds intended for Palestinian authorities."
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Speaking to the MSNBC channel, Warner said he "hoped" the "humanitarian pause" in the fighting would continue to allow for the release of hostages.
Stating that Israel is "beginning to lose the support" of people not only globally but also in the region, Warner noted that he "strongly" recommends that Israel release some of the funds intended for Palestinian authorities.
Warner said, "I was worried even before October 7. You could have the entire Palestinian security services in the West Bank quit. You would then have a level of chaos and a second front to this war that would be unprecedented. The fact that these funds and the payments to these individuals have not been made since October 7 is a real challenge."
Drawing attention to the Israeli army's "instruction for more than 1 million Palestinians living in the northern regions to move south," Warner also stated that it would therefore be "difficult" for the army to achieve its goal of "destroying Hamas" in the south.
Warner also touched upon settler violence in the West Bank.
Stating that most of the reservists in the West Bank have been "called to duty," Warner said the Israeli government needs to take more steps to ensure that "settler violence decreases and the army does not ignore the violence against Palestinians in the region."