Democratic Sen. Murphy, GOP Sen. Young call for ceasefire between Israel and Hamas

Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy and GOP Sen. Todd Young have united to craft a bipartisan call in the Senate for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas – in their deadly battle that started last week.

"Israel has the right to defend itself from Hamas' rocket attacks, in a manner proportionate with the threat its citizens are facing," Murphy, of Connecticut, and Young, Indiana, said in a statement Sunday. "We are encouraged by reports that the parties are exploring a ceasefire. We hope that this ceasefire can be reached quickly and that additional steps can be taken to preserve a two-state future."

The joint statement by the chairman and top Republican, respectively, on the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia and Counterterrorism did not include signatures of support from other senators, amid a battle that has resulted in varying political positions on Capitol Hill. 

The recent violence between the Palestinian terror organization Hamas, which has been the governing force in the Gaza Strip since 2006, and Israel started last week when Israeli police clashed with Palestinian protesters in Jerusalem.