Fetterman: Palestinian support of Hamas comes with ‘accountability’
Speaking to JI from the Capitol, the Pennsylvania senator said Hamas’ hostage transfer ceremony that took place earlier in the day was indicative of the level of support the terror group has among the Palestinian people
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Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) arrives before the Inauguration of Donald J. Trump in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda on January 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. Donald Trump takes office for his second term as the 47th president of the United States.
Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) condemned the scenes in Gaza on Thursday, where Hamas paraded the coffins containing what were believed to have been the remains of four Israeli hostages down the streets of Khan Younis to cheers from Palestinian locals. Three of the bodies were identified as Oded Lifshitz, Kfir Bibas and Ariel Bibas.
Speaking to Jewish Insider from the Capitol on Thursday evening, the Pennsylvania senator said Hamas’ hostage transfer ceremony that took place earlier in the day was indicative of the level of support the terror group has among the Palestinian people. Fetterman argued that such support came with “accountability” attached to it.
“I think it just really reflects just how much of a lot of the population in Gaza supports Hamas and the kind of terrible things that they do. Every time they have these releases, they have people cheering it like they’re cheering for the [Pittsburgh] Steelers or something,” Fetterman said.
“It just reinforces that they actually really want that kind of leadership. Maybe there’s some accountability with everything that happened. I mean, you elect terrorists and you cheer them,” Fetterman continued. “It seems it might attach some accountability to a lot of it. If you’re cheering at dead babies and children, I think there’s some accountability in all of it.”
Fetterman also took issue with the prisoner release that Israel had to adhere to in exchange for the remaining hostages, specifically criticizing the release of Mohammed Abu Warda, a former Hamas commander responsible for several suicide bombings that killed a total of 45 Israelis, as part of the deal.
“I read that the IDF identified that that actually wasn’t them,” Fetterman said, referencing that the coffin containing what was believed to be Shiri Bibas’ body instead held the body of an unknown Palestinian. “They had to release a prisoner that was involved in 45 killings. I just look forward to those prisoners, the ones that killed people, I hope Israel follows up and wastes them. You know, they should never forget and forgive. I fully support that.”
“The fact that they kidnapped, tortured and murdered children, I’ll never understand why you still have people in our country to protest and support that kind of absolutely vile, repugnant stuff. It’s almost normalized in the media,” he added.