In observance of Martin Luther King Day, Indian American Congressman Ro Khanna has called for a ceasefire in the Middle Eastern regions afflicted by violence.
Taking to social media platform X, Rep. Khanna said, “On MLK Day, we should live up to Dr. King's principles of nonviolence and anti-militarism. We should remember his teachings when it comes to Gaza and Yemen, and preventing an escalation of violence in the Middle East. It’s time for a ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and for civilian casualties to end.”
The conflict between Israel and Gaza has rapidly led to famine, according to the United Nations' relief chief. On January 15, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, said hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in the besieged enclave are facing starvation. He emphasized that the "great majority" of the 400,000 Gazans previously identified as being at risk of famine are now actually experiencing famine.
“We need to listen to Dr. King when it comes to not having an escalation of violence in Yemen and in the entire Middle East. It’s not enough to celebrate Dr. King’s birthday but ignore his teachings. To honor him, we should live up to his principles,” Rep. Khanna added in the social media post.
According to a US official speaking to CNN, the recent US-led airstrikes on Houthi rebel targets in Yemen, while substantial, destroyed less than a third of the Iranian proxy group's overall offensive capabilities. Despite a significant number of strikes, including 150 precision-guided munitions directed at nearly 30 sites, the official revealed that the Houthis retain approximately three-quarters of their capacity to target commercial vessels in international shipping lanes in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also strongly condemned the brutal attacks by Hamas, highlighting the unprecedented civilian casualties. He expressed deep concern over the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza following Israel's military intervention.
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