Ted Cruz
Ted CruzReuters

US Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Monday commented on the latest rocket and missile attacks from Iran-backed Palestinian Arab terrorist groups towards southern Israel.

“The United States stands with our Israeli allies, who are exercising their absolute right to self-defense in response to the hundreds of rockets and missiles being fired at Israeli homes, schools, hospitals, and other civilian infrastructure. These attacks are being launched and coordinated by Palestinian terrorist groups backed by Iran, including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. They are war crimes, doubly over, in that the terrorists are using civilian Palestinian human shields to protect their war-fighters while at the same time directly targeting Israeli civilians,” said Cruz.

“Last year, Congress passed and President Trump signed into law my legislation mandating sanctions against Hamas for the use of human shields. I urge the Trump administration to expeditiously issue those mandatory sanctions,” he added.

Between Saturday morning and 2:33 a.m. on Monday morning, nearly 700 rockets were fired at Israeli civilians, killing four and wounding approximately 150.

On Monday morning at 4:30 a.m., a ceasefire brokered by Egypt and Qatar reportedly went into effect.

The rocket fire was condemned by President Donald Trump, who wrote on Twitter, “We support Israel 100% in its defense of its citizens.”

“To the Gazan people — these terrorist acts against Israel will bring you nothing but more misery. END the violence and work towards peace - it can happen!” he added.

Trump’s comments followed a tweet by Vice President Mike Pence, who expressed support for Israel’s right to defend itself against the ongoing rocket attacks on the south.

“We strongly condemn the attacks in Gaza by Hamas terrorists. Israel has the absolute right to defend itself & the U.S. stands by our great ally Israel,” Pence tweeted.