ATLANTA — A day after President Joe Biden called for "a pause" on the Israel-Hamas War, a push for a ceasefire grows thousands of miles away from the conflict as a Georgia group calls urges U.S. lawmakers to do more.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Georgia) held a news conference Thursday calling on Georgia's U.S. Senators Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff and other Congress members to urge for a ceasefire.
Atlanta Interfaith Coalition for Palestine, made up of Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders, said their collective voices help the calls grow louder - which will hopefully reach lawmakers who have a say in the conflict.
"I discovered the Holy Land wasn't very holy. I saw with my own eyes Israeli bulldozers tearing down perfectly stable Palestinian homes," Rev. Tim McDonald, with Atlanta's historic Ebenezer Baptist Church said.
McDonald said nearly 50 years after his visit to Gaza he's disheartened to see more conflict and innocent people caught in the crossfire.
That's why he chose to stand with the coalition Thursday and join the calls for a full stop to the violence.
"I don't want my tax dollars being used in any way, form or fashion for these types of actions of bombing innocent people," he said.
This call for peace comes after the organization's Washington D.C. chapter called on Biden "to stop the madness." The U.S. Commander in Chief spoke Wednesday and also called for a pause.
McDonald said a pause is not enough.
"This occupation needs to cease. These bombings, these killings, need to cease on both sides. I'm a Christian. My faith tells me this is absolutely wrong," McDonald said.
Georgia Rep. Ruwa Romann, the state's first Palestinian lawmaker, also spoke at the news conference, calling on her counterparts to urge a ceasefire.
"The past few weeks have been harrowing, to say the least. Today, I'm addressing you as a Palestinian, desperate for the end of this bloodshed. What we are seeing in Gaza is a massacre of immense proportions," said the state lawmaker.
Georgia Tech associate professor Larry Rubin said the U.S. is walking a political tightrope as the Middle East conflict plays out on the global stage.
"The United States is caught in this challenging position to be able to relieve some of that suffering because of war and conflict and at the same time support the military aims of its staunch ally (Israel)," Rubin said.
The Carter Center issued a statement saying the only solution that will lead to an end of the conflict is one that recognizes the humanity of both sides.
It's up to lawmakers to decide on how to act.
Latest on Israel-Hamas war
Israeli troops continue their push into Gaza on Thursday as efforts remain to bring a brief stop to fighting to help those wounded. President Biden suggested a "pause" on Wednesday but did not call for the complete ceasefire many organizations are pushing for.
Israel's Thursday push into Gaza comes after three weeks of heavy airstrikes, leaving over 2.3 million Palestinians fleeing their homes.
Over 1,400 Israeli citizens have died during Hamas’ initial attack, without precedent. Palestinian militants also abducted around 240 people during their incursion and have continued firing rockets into Israel. The war, the fifth and by far deadliest in Gaza, began when Hamas launched a bloody Oct. 7 rampage into Israel, which killed hundreds of men, women and children.
More than 8,500 Palestinians have also been killed in the war, mostly women and minors, the Gaza Health Ministry said Tuesday, not including those who are unaccounted for.
So far, hundreds of foreign passport holders crossed over into Egypt. Dozens of wounded Palestinians were also evacuated into Egypt to get treatment. Egypt has said it will not accept an influx of Palestinian refugees, fearing Israel will not allow them to return to Gaza after the war.
The U.S. has said it is trying to evacuate 400 Americans with their families. On America's soil, the FBI issued a warning to citizens as extremist groups increased their calls for attacks on Americans.