A group of Senate Democrats are calling on the United States government to recognize a demilitarized Palestinian state alongside a secure state of Israel.

The nonbinding resolution was introduced Thursday by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), the first of its kind in the Senate, as the pressure rises on Israel over its nearly two-year military siege against Palestinian militant group Hamas, designated as a foreign terrorist group by the U.S. government, in the Gaza Strip.

“Recognition of a Palestinian state is not only a practical step the United States can take to help build a future where Palestinians and Israelis can live in freedom, dignity, and security, but it is the right thing to do. America has a responsibility to lead, and the time to act is now,” Merkley said in a statement on Thursd

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