Supporting, recognizing, and establishing legislation that affirms the sense of Congress that Israel ought to be provided with sufficient material to defend itself against rocket artillery attacks from Hamas and its allies.

Whereas, on October 7, 2023, the terrorist group Hamas carried out an unprovoked attack on the State of Israel, in which they launched thousands of rockets, murdering innocent civilians including noncombatant women, children, and the elderly; Whereas Hamas is designated by the United States as a foreign terrorist organization, and whose founding charter expressly commits to destroying the State of Israel; Whereas, as of October 16, 2023, Hamas launched an unprovoked attack which killed 1,400 Israelis and captured up to 200 hostages; Whereas this gruesome and unprovoked attack took place on Shabbat, on the holidays of Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah in Israel, and on the 50th anniversary of the start of the Yom Kippur War; Whereas the Israeli Defense Forces have reported that Hamas fired nearly 2,500 rockets in the initial wave of the attack, while Hamas claims an even greater amount of 5,000; Whereas the Iron Dome is a mobile air defense system designed to protect against rocket artillery; Whereas the Iron Dome, using interceptor missiles, prioritizes the defense of heavily populated civilian areas and has an estimated success rate between 90 and 97 percent; Whereas Hamas has developed intricate means of obtaining rockets and restocking their arsenal, to include the use of covert tunnels and overseas smuggling; Whereas Iran has provided ballistic missiles to Hamas via tunnel and sea, in defiance of embargoes, blockades, and international pressure; Whereas Hamas admits to manufacturing their own rockets from water pipes and other infrastructure related material, with an effective range between 10 and 250 kilometers; Whereas Hamas’ domestic manufacturing and illicit acquisition of rockets allows them to quickly develop and replenish their offensive capabilities; and Whereas the speed of Hamas’ rockets and their close proximity to densely populated Israeli areas give a minute or less in many cases for Israel to deploy countermeasures: Now, therefore, be it That the House of Representatives— (1) recognizes Israel as one of the closest allies of the United States and holds the protection of the Israeli people from Hamas indiscriminate rocket fire as a matter of the utmost importance; (2) condemns Hamas’ barbaric terrorist attacks; (3) supports Israel’s right to protect itself from terrorist attacks, and recognizes the salient nature of interceptor missiles to the Israeli Defense Force’s efforts in protecting the Israeli people against Hamas’ rocket attacks; (4) calls upon the House of Representatives to ensure that Israel’s need for interceptor missiles is accounted for in any Act appropriating or authorizing funds in response to the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas; and (5) condemns the countries or groups directly or indirectly facilitating Hamas’ antisemitic attacks against Israel.

Summary: This resolution recognizes Israel as a close ally and condemns Hamas' attacks against Israel, as well as any countries or groups facilitating those attacks. The resolution also recognizes the protection of the Israeli people against Hamas rocket attacks as a matter of importance and calls upon the House of Representatives to account for Israel's need for interceptor missiles when authorizing or appropriating funds to respond to Hamas' October 7, 2023, attacks against Israel.