•HRES 34 EH 
Whereas Hamas locates elements of its terrorist infrastruc-
ture in civilian population centers, thus using innocent ci-
vilians as human shields; 
Whereas Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in a state-
ment on December 27, 2008, that ‘‘We strongly condemn 
the repeated rocket and mortar attacks against Israel 
and hold Hamas responsible for breaking the cease-fire 
and for the renewal of violence there’’; 
Whereas on December 27, 2008, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud 
Olmert said, ‘‘For approximately seven years, hundreds 
of thousands of Israeli citizens in the south have been 
suffering from missiles being fired at them . . . In such 
a situation we had no alternative but to respond. We do 
not rejoice in battle but neither will we be deterred from 
it. . . .The operation in the Gaza Strip is designed, first 
and foremost, to bring about an improvement in the secu-
rity reality for the residents of the south of the country’’; 
Whereas the humanitarian situation in Gaza, including short-
ages of food, water, electricity, and adequate medical 
care, is becoming more acute; 
Whereas Israel has facilitated humanitarian aid to Gaza with 
hundreds of trucks carrying humanitarian assistance and 
numerous ambulances entering the Gaza Strip since the 
current round of fighting began on December 27, 2008; 
Whereas on January 6, 2009, before the United Nations Se-
curity Council, Secretary Rice stated that: ‘‘The situation 
before the current events in Gaza was clearly not sustain-
able. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis lived under the 
daily threat of rocket attack, and frankly, no country, 
none of our countries, would have been willing to tolerate 
such a circumstance. Moreover, the people of Gaza
•HRES 34 EH 
watched as insecurity and lawlessness increased and as 
their living conditions grew more dire because of Hamas’s 
actions which began with the illegal coup against the Pal-
estinian Authority in Gaza. . .A ceasefire that returns to 
those circumstances is unacceptable and it will not last’’; 
and 
Whereas the ultimate goal of the United States is a sustain-
able resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that will 
ensure the welfare, security, and survival of the State of 
Israel as a Jewish and democratic state with secure bor-
ders, and a viable, independent, and democratic Pales-
tinian state living side by side in peace and security with 
the State of Israel: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) expresses vigorous support and unwavering com-
mitment to the welfare, security, and survival of the 
State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state with se-
cure borders, and recognizes its right to act in self-de-
fense to protect its citizens against Hamas’s unceasing 
aggression, as enshrined in the United Nations Charter; 
(2) reiterates that Hamas must end the rocket and 
mortar attacks against Israel, recognize Israel’s right to 
exist, renounce violence, agree to accept previous agree-
ments between Israel and the Palestinians, and verifiably 
dismantle its terrorist infrastructure; 
(3) encourages the Administration to work actively 
to support a durable and sustainable cease-fire in Gaza 
, as soon as possible, that prevents Hamas from retain-
•HRES 34 EH 
ing or rebuilding its terrorist infrastructure, including 
the capability to launch rockets and mortars against 
Israel, and thereby allowing for the long-term improve-
ment of daily living conditions for the people of Gaza; 
(4) believes strongly that the lives of innocent civil-
ians must be protected to the maximum extent possible, 
expresses condolences to innocent Palestinian and Israeli 
victims and their families, and reiterates that humani-
tarian needs in Gaza should be addressed promptly and 
responsibly; 
(5) calls on all nations— 
(A) to condemn Hamas for deliberately embed-
ding its fighters, leaders, and weapons in private 
homes, schools, mosques, hospitals, and otherwise 
using Palestinian civilians as human shields, while 
simultaneously targeting Israeli civilians; and 
(B) to lay blame both for the breaking of the 
‘‘calm’’ and for subsequent civilian casualties in 
Gaza precisely where blame belongs, that is, on 
Hamas; 
(6) supports and encourages efforts to diminish the 
appeal and influence of extremists in the Palestinian ter-
ritories, and strengthen moderate Palestinians who are 
committed to a secure and lasting peace with Israel;
•HRES 34 EH 
(7) calls on Egypt to intensify its efforts to halt 
smuggling between Gaza and Egypt and affirms the will-
ingness of the United States to continue to assist Egypt 
in these efforts; 
(8) calls for the immediate release of the kidnaped 
Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who has been illegally held 
in Gaza since June 2006; and 
(9) reiterates its strong support for a just and sus-
tainable resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict 
achieved through negotiations between Israel and the 
Palestinian Authority in order to ensure the welfare, se-
curity, and survival of the State of Israel as a Jewish 
and democratic state with secure borders, and a viable, 
independent, and democratic Palestinian state living side 
by side in peace and security with the State of Israel. 
Attest: 
Clerk.