Today marks one year since the horrific Hamas terrorist attack on Israel, which killed 1,200 innocent men, women, and children, and took some 250 hostages, including Americans, many of whom are still being held captive today. Yahya Sinwar and his Hamas accomplices are responsible for mass murder, the taking of hostages, and sexual violence. They are war criminals. Nobody should forgive or forget those atrocities, which began this war.

Over the past year, I have met with many survivors of that attack and their relatives. It is difficult to comprehend the heartbreak they have experienced. Today, we should all remember those human stories and reflect on that human cost.

We also cannot mark this date without considering what has happened in the year since the Hamas massacre.

Israel clearly had a right to respond to the Hamas attack. But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s extremist government has not simply waged war against Hamas. It has waged total war against the Palestinian people. More than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 96,000 wounded, sixty percent of whom are women, children, or elderly people. The Netanyahu government has destroyed much of the housing stock of Gaza, the civilian infrastructure, and the health care system. Every one of the 12 universities in Gaza have been bombed, and there are virtually no educational opportunities available for the many children there. Desperate families, with few belongings, have been displaced time and time again.

Israel has blocked humanitarian aid, cutting off food, water, medical supplies. Severe restrictions remain in place. Humanitarian aid organizations describe the situation as a catastrophe, with many thousands of children facing malnutrition and starvation. These actions by the Netanyahu government have clearly violated U.S. and international law and made Israel less secure.

Further, Netanyahu has consistently sabotaged efforts to obtain a ceasefire deal and secure the release of the hostages. Every time an agreement has appeared close, he has introduced new demands, sinking the deal and leaving the hostages and Palestinian civilians to continue their suffering.

Since October 7th, this ongoing conflict and the horrific humanitarian crisis have been a daily torment. Today, as we remember those lost and continue to grapple with the horror of that day, we must re-dedicate ourselves to returning the hostages to their families, bringing about an immediate ceasefire, returning displaced people to their homes, and providing the massive humanitarian aid that the people of Gaza need.