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Week Ending March 16, 2006

H.RES.107 Calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Israeli soldiers held captive by Hamas and Hezbollah, and for other purposes.

This resolution calls for the release of two Israeli soldiers allegedly kidnapped by Hamas, the militia/political faction in the Palestinian territories. The kidnapping was, according to Israel, the reason it attacked Lebanon and destroyed the country’s infrastructure last year. The soldiers are yet to be returned unless Israel releases several captives it took into custody over the years.

The preamble says that Israel withdrew all of its troops from Southern Lebanon following a UN resolution but later acknowledges that it continued to occupy some Lebanese territory until 2005. Israel soon after reoccupied Lebanon in response to the kidnappings. Syria was to remove itself from Lebanon after nearly thirty years of defending Lebanon borders against Israel and did so under the UN resolution.

In June 2006, the resolution alleges, Hamas and ‘allied terrorists’ killed two soldiers and wounded Gilad Shalit who was then kidnapped from Israel. Hezbollah, another militia/political/ humanitarian organization is accused of kidnapping Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, two other Israeli soldiers. The resolution preamble says that Hamas and Hezbollah have withheld all information on the health and welfare of the kidnapped men and have violated humanitarian principals by preventing access to the captives by competent medical personnel and representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The House, in this resolution, ‘demands’ that Hamas immediately and unconditionally release Gilad Shallit and that Hezbollah accept the mandate of the UN Security Council Resolution 1701 by immediately and unconditionally releasing Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev. The resolution goes further to demand that Hezbolah and Hamas ‘accede to the most basic standards of humanitarian conduct’ an allow prompt access to the captives by competent medical personnel and the Red Cross.

The House also expresses its ‘vigorous support and unwavering commitment to the welfare and survival of the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state with secure borders; its strong support and deep interest in a resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the creation of an independent Palestinian state living peacefully alongside Israel.

The resolution then condemns Hamas and Hezbollah for cross-border attacks and kidnappings, condemns Iran and Syria seen as the primary state sponsors of global terrorism and the patrons of Hamas and Hezbollah for their ongoing support of international terrorism.

Sponsor:  Rep. Gary L. Ackerman (D-NY-5^th)

Vote: Agreed to by voice vote March 13, 2007

Cost to the taxpayers: No discernible cost.

Earmark Certification:   Not applicable to this bill.

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MORE INFORMATION

Whereas Israel completed its withdrawal from southern Lebanon on May 24, 2000;

Whereas on June 18, 2000, the United Nations Security Council welcomed and endorsed United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan's report that Israel had withdrawn completely from Lebanon under the terms of United Nations Security Council Resolution 425 (1978);

Whereas Israel completed its withdrawal from Gaza on September 12, 2005;

Whereas on June 25, 2006, Hamas and allied terrorists crossed into Israel to attack a military post, killing two soldiers and wounding a third, Gilad Shalit, who was kidnapped;

Whereas on July 12, 2006, Hezbollah terrorists crossed into Israel to attack Israeli troops patrolling the Israeli side of the border with Lebanon, killing three, wounding two, and kidnapping Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev;

Whereas Gilad Shalit has been held in captivity by Hamas for more than 7 months;

Whereas Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev have been held in captivity by Hezbollah for more than 6 months;

Whereas Hamas and Hezbollah have withheld all information on the health and welfare of the men they have kidnapped; and

Whereas, contrary to the most basic standards of humanitarian conduct, Hamas and Hezbollah have prevented access to the Israeli captives by competent medical personnel and representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives--

(1) demands that--

(A) Hamas immediately and unconditionally release Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit;

(B) Hezbollah accept the mandate of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 (2006) by immediately and unconditionally releasing Israeli soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev; and

(C) Hezbollah and Hamas accede to the most basic standards of humanitarian conduct and allow prompt access to the Israeli captives by competent medical personnel and representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross;

(2) expresses--

(A) its vigorous support and unwavering commitment to the welfare and survival of the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state with secure borders;

(B) its strong support and deep interest in achieving a resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the creation of a viable and independent Palestinian state living in peace alongside of the State of Israel;

(C) its ongoing concern and sympathy for the families of Gilad Shalit, Ehud Goldwasser, and Eldad Regev; and

(D) its full commitment to seek the immediate and unconditional release of the Israeli captives; and

(3) condemns--

(A) Hamas and Hezbollah for the cross border attacks and kidnappings which precipitated weeks of intensive armed conflict between Israel, Hezbollah, and armed Palestinian groups; and

(B) Iran and Syria, the primary state sponsors of global terrorism and the patrons of Hezbollah and Hamas, for their ongoing support for international terrorism.

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