Dem Rep. Carson: Hostage Swap ‘Sign of Our Momentum’ in Ceasefire Push

On Wednesday’s broadcast of “CNN News Central,” Rep. Andre Carson (D-IN) stated that the temporary pause in fighting between Israel and Hamas that was agreed to in exchange for Hamas releasing some of the hostages it’s holding “is a great sign of our momentum,” in pushing for a ceasefire “And it’s de-escalation that will save lives and bringing hostages home is critically important and not more violence.”

Carson said, “I think it’s an important first step, as well as a pause. It’s a huge relief to the 50 hostages and their families who will be reunited. And, look, I and some of my colleagues, we’ve been pushing for a ceasefire from the beginning of this situation, and this is a great sign of our momentum, and it’s working. And it’s de-escalation that will save lives and bringing hostages home is critically important and not more violence. But there are still hostages that need to be reunited with their families and there have been 13,000 Palestinians who have died. We’ve had Israelis die, and almost half of those — more than half have been children. This violence has created a growing, devastating humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and it must stop.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett