Scalise Statement on One Year Anniversary of October 7th Attack on Israel

JEFFERSON, La.- Today, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) released the following statement on the one-year anniversary of Hamas' October 7th terrorist attack on Israel:

"Today, one year later, we remember the over 1,200 innocent lives lost during the horrific October 7th terrorist attack perpetrated by Hamas on Israeli civilians - the largest murder of Jewish people since the Holocaust. In addition to the barbaric murders of women, the elderly, children, the disabled, and even babies, these terrorists took over 250 hostages. To this day, 97 of the hostages taken on October 7th remain unaccounted for, and four of the hostages still being held by Hamas in Gaza are Americans. In the wake of this devastating day in history, Jews in America and around the world have been the target of a wave of unacceptable antisemitism.

"Since October 7th, Israel has been under constant attack by Iranian-backed terrorists in the region, such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis. Israel has also been attacked directly multiple times by Iranian missile and drone barrages, which fortunately were defeated through close coordination between Israel, the United States, and our partners.

"Israel has every right to defend its existence and deter violence against its people - and the United States must continue to strongly support them in this mission. Threats to Israel's national security are threats to America's national security, and Israel's enemies are our enemies. We must continue to give Israel the tools it needs to defend against these attacks and defeat the terrorists wherever they hide. The United States stands with Israel today and every day, and will continue to fight to ensure a day like October 7, 2023, never happens again."