Bipartisan group of US senators to Israel to show 'unwavering' support: Schumer

NEW YORK (PIX11) -- Activists at a pro-Palestine rally on Long Island Sunday urged lawmakers to issue a ceasefire as violence escalates in Gaza. They said Israel’s bombings are killing innocent families and children, not Hamas.

In contrast, a pro-Israel gathering in Livingston, N.J., Sunday advocated for the total eradication of Hamas.

“We’re going to obliterate them,” said David Moskowitz, who attended the event. “And if Israel was smart, they’d take the whole Gaza Strip and take all the Palestinians and send them home somewhere else.”

Also Sunday, Senator Chuck Schumer spoke from Israel, where he landed Saturday with a bipartisan group of lawmakers. He told reporters Sunday that he had already had to take shelter during an air raid.

“We were having lunch at our hotel, and the sirens went off,” explained Sen. Schumer. “Hamas had sent rockets toward Tel Aviv. We rushed into a shelter and had to stay there until the coast was clear.”

Senator Schumer said he is working on a bi-partisan aid package for Israel, providing military, intelligence, diplomatic and humanitarian assistance.

“Goal number one is to make sure the threat from Hamas is eliminated,” said Sen. Schumer. “The second goal is to help secure the release of the hostages.”