Rep. Kathy Manning: Israel needs ‘to make sure Hamas is never able to do this to Israelis again’

Rep. Kathy Manning (D-N.C.) said Monday that Israel needs to make sure that militant group Hamas will never be able to conduct an attack on Israeli citizens again. 

During an appearance on NewsNation’s The Hill, Manning, who is Jewish, told host Blake Burman that Israeli forces have done an enormous amount of work to go after Hamas. She also noted that Israel still has another giant task ahead of it with securing the release of hostages still held captive by the militant group. 

“So we need to continue to push for the release of all the hostages, and we need to understand that it is incumbent upon Israel to make sure that Hamas is never able to do this to Israelis again,” Manning said.

“But I guess, how do you pick back up the war after a truce?” Burman asked Manning, noting the temporary cease-fire agreement between the two sides. 

“It’s gonna be up to the [Israeli Defense Forces], and I have great confidence that the Israeli Defense Forces can determine how to go after the Hamas fighters, how to go after the terrorists who wreaked havoc against the … against Israeli civilians on Oct. 7,” Manning replied. 

The Israeli military announced Monday that 11 people held by Hamas were released and are headed back to Israel. 

This is the latest round of hostages to be freed amid the temporary cease-fire between Israel and the militant group, with Hamas releasing about 58 hostages before Monday. 

Twenty-four were released in the first wave Friday, with an additional 17 released Saturday, and another 17 released Sunday. 

It’s been close to two months since Hamas’s surprise attack against Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people. Israel has since launched a wave of attacks in the Gaza Strip, resulting in the death of tens of thousands of people, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.

The Hill show on NewsNation airs Monday to Friday at 5 p.m. ET.