In a policy shift, Rep. Raúl Grijalva joins calls for Israel-Hamas cease-fire. Here's why

Rep. Raúl Grijalva, in a policy shift, this week signed onto a letter calling for a cease-fire between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Grijalva, D-Ariz., has long been critical of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians, including voting against funding for Israel’s air rocket defense system in 2021, and he had raised humanitarian concerns about Israel’s plan to cut off most food, water, and fuel from the Gaza Strip in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 surprise attacks on Israel.

But unlike some other progressive lawmakers in Congress, he had not previously called for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, nor had he signed onto a cease-fire resolution recently introduced in the House.

That changed on Wednesday when Grijalva joined 23 other Democrats in a letter addressed to President Joe Biden calling for a cease-fire and saying the U.S. needs a clearer strategy to de-escalate the conflict.

“We write to you to express deep concern about the intensifying war in Gaza, particularly grave violations against children, and our fear that without an immediate cessation of hostilities and the establishment of a robust bilateral ceasefire, this war will lead to a further loss of civilian life and risk dragging the United States into dangerous and unwise conflict with armed groups across the Middle East,” the Congress members wrote.

A spokesperson for Grijalva’s office said that he joined calls for a cease-fire because of the mounting humanitarian toll of Israel’s response. According to estimates from the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza, Israel’s military action has killed over 11,000 Palestinians, including more than 4,500 children. That would represent approximately 1 in 200 people in Gaza.

“Rep. Grijalva has become increasingly concerned with the civilian and children casualties in Gaza as a result of Israel’s opaque military strategy,” the spokesperson wrote.

“He believes that any future military aid should be contingent on Israel’s abidement of international humanitarian law and should be for the defense of Israel, not to wage war.”

Asked whether he would vote yes or no on Biden’s proposed military aid package, Grijalva’s office said he would need to review the legislative text, which is not yet available. In October, Grijalva told The Arizona Republic in October that he was still planning to vote for the package despite his humanitarian concerns, saying that Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks on Israel “reshaped everything.”

“Right now, the priority is the defense of a democracy, Israel and a defense of its people. At the same time, I hope that every effort is going on to try to limit the effect on non-combatants and civilians, particularly the elderly and children,” Grijalva said at the time.

The Wednesday letter condemns Hamas’ attacks on Israel, in which around 1,200 people in Israel were killed and more than 200 were captured as hostages, according to Israeli officials.

It goes on to express “dire concerns” about Israel’s response to the attacks, which has included aerial bombing, a ground operation, and a blockade of most humanitarian supplies into Gaza.

Last week, under pressure from Biden, Israel agreed to implement four-hour daily “humanitarian pauses” in its military campaign in northern Gaza, to allow civilians to escape.

Biden has opposed calls for a cease-fire, saying in a news conference this week that Hamas still poses a threat to Israel, and appeared to suggest that Israel had moved away from what he described as “indiscriminate bombing” towards a more targeted approach.

Israeli officials have not shared much about their specific plans for the Palestinian enclave, beyond their stated goal of destroying Hamas. The Biden administration has reportedly raised concerns that Israel lacks a clear military pathway to achieving that goal.

Wednesday’s letter presses the president for more details: "We urge your Administration to obtain clarity on the specific strategic objectives of a large-scale ground invasion, their achievability, what may come after Hamas, the risks to hostages and civilians in the region, the national security implications of a multi-front war in the Middle East, and the potential threats to American citizens in the region.”

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: In policy shift, Rep. Grijalva joins calls for Israel-Hamas cease-fire