H. Con. Res. 107 Agreed to December 10, 2014

One Hundred Thirteenth Congress 

of the 

United States of America 

AT THE SECOND SESSION 

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Friday, 

the third day of January, two thousand and fourteen 

Concurrent Resolution 

Whereas the use of human shields is unconscionable and morally 

unacceptable; 

Whereas since June 15, 2014, there have been over 2,000 rockets 

fired by Hamas and other terrorist organizations from Gaza into 

Israel; 

Whereas Hamas uses civilian populations as human shields by 

placing their missile batteries in densely populated areas and 

near schools, hospitals, and mosques; 

Whereas Israel dropped leaflets, made announcements, placed 

phone calls, and sent text messages to the Palestinian people 

in Gaza warning them in advance that an attack was imminent, 

and went to extraordinary lengths to target only terrorist actors 

and to minimize collateral damage; 

Whereas Hamas urged the residents of Gaza to ignore the Israeli 

warnings and to remain in their houses and encouraged Palestinians to gather on the roofs of their homes to act as human 

shields; 

Whereas on July 23, 2014, the 46-Member UN Human Rights 

Council passed a resolution to form a commission of inquiry 

over Israel’s operations in Gaza that completely fails to condemn 

Hamas for its indiscriminate rocket attacks and its unconscionable use of human shields, with the United States being the 

lone dissenting vote; 

Whereas public reports have cited the role of Iran and Syria in 

providing material support and training to Hamas and other 

terrorist groups carrying out rocket and mortar attacks from 

Gaza; 

Whereas throughout the summer of 2006 conflict between the State 

of Israel and the terrorist organization Hezbollah, Hezbollah 

forces utilized innocent civilians as human shields; 

Whereas al Qaeda, Al-Shabaab, Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant 

(ISIL), and other foreign terrorist organizations typically use 

innocent civilians as human shields; 

Whereas the United States and Israel have cooperated on missile 

defense projects, including Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and the 

Arrow Anti-Missile System, projects designed to thwart a diverse 

range of threats, including short-range missiles and rockets fired 

by non-state actors, such as Hamas; 

Whereas the United States provided $460,000,000 in fiscal year 

2014 for Iron Dome research, development, and production; 
H. Con. Res. 107—2 

Whereas during the most recent rocket attacks from Gaza, Iron 

Dome successfully intercepted dozens of rockets that were 

launched against Israeli population centers; and 

Whereas 5,000,000 Israelis are currently living under the threat 

of rocket attacks from Gaza: Now, therefore, be it 

Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That Congress— 

(1) strongly condemns the use of innocent civilians as 

human shields; 

(2) calls on the international community to recognize and 

condemn Hamas’ use of human shields; 

(3) places responsibility for the rocket attacks against Israel 

on Hamas and other terrorist organizations, such as Palestine 

Islamic Jihad; 

(4) supports the sovereign right of the Government of Israel 

to defend its territory and its citizens from Hamas’ rocket 

attacks, kidnapping attempts, and the use of tunnels and other 

means to carry out attacks against Israel; 

(5) expresses condolences to the families of the innocent 

victims on both sides of the conflict; 

(6) supports Palestinian civilians who reject Hamas and 

all forms of terrorism and violence, desiring to live in peace 

with their Israeli neighbors; 

(7) supports efforts to demilitarize the Gaza Strip, removing 

Hamas’s means to target Israel, including its use of tunnels, 

rockets, and other means; and 

(8) condemns the United Nations Human Rights Council’s 

biased resolution establishing a commission of inquiry into 

Israel’s Gaza operations. 

Attest: 

Clerk of the House of Representatives. 

Attest: 

Secretary of the Senate.