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New Bipartisan Bill Aims to Sanction Group Linked to October 7 Attacks on Israel
On Tuesday, Senators Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) unveiled a new piece of legislation designed to impose sanctions on a militant group believed to be directly involved in the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. The proposed legislation, named the Accountability for Terrorist Perpetrators of October 7th Act, seeks to hold accountable those who participated in the violent actions that sparked the current conflict in Gaza.
This legislation, which builds on a version introduced last year by Representatives Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), David Kustoff (R-Tenn.), Michael McCaul (R-Texas), and Brad Schneider (D-Ill.), specifically calls for sanctions against the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC), a group Ricketts describes as “the third-largest terrorist organization in Gaza” and as a proxy for Iran.
In their statements regarding the bill, both senators emphasized the importance of accountability. Ricketts noted, “Despite decades of attacks against Americans and Israelis, including the events of October 7th, the PRC has yet to be properly sanctioned for its barbarism. This bill will help hold accountable every terrorist who participated in these heinous attacks.”
The proposed sanctions would target various areas, including property transactions and the visa status of individuals connected to the PRC. Such measures, if enacted, could have significant implications for the group’s operational capabilities and international legitimacy.
Schiff echoed similar sentiments, stating, “For years, the Popular Resistance Committees have carried out terrorist attacks against Israelis, Americans, and Palestinians. They were willing and cruel participants with Hamas during the horrific October 7th massacre, killing innocent Israelis and taking and holding hostages after that terrible attack.”
The legislative effort is bipartisan in nature, with Representatives Sherman, Kustoff, McCaul, Schneider, along with Reps. Sarah McBride (D-Del.) and Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), also supporting the initiative in the House. Their collaboration reflects a growing consensus in Congress regarding the need to take decisive action against groups that engage in acts of terrorism, particularly in the context of recent violence in the region.
As the situation in Gaza continues to evolve, the introduction of this bill illustrates the ongoing concerns among U.S. lawmakers about regional stability and the repercussions of terrorism on innocent civilians.
Source
thehill.com