After publicly calling for a "de-escalation and ceasefire" on Israel’s behalf, Democratic "Squad" member Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., stayed silent on her support for Palestine.
"Congresswoman, you have called for a ceasefire – are you okay with Hamas terrorists continuing to exist?" correspondent Hillary Vaughn asked Omar in the halls of Capitol Hill Friday.
"Do you think that Israel should just lay down their arms and not try to get the hostages out of Gaza?" Vaughn continued to press. "How can Israel have a ceasefire with terrorists whose entire mission is to wipe out their existence?"
With each question Omar remained silent until Vaughn stepped into the elevator entryway, preventing the elevator doors from closing on the congresswoman.
"Ignore this crazy lady, don’t worry about her," Omar said.
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Omar, who has a history of controversial statements about Israel, condemned "the horrific acts we are seeing unfold today in Israel against children, women, the elderly, and the unarmed people who are being slaughtered and taken hostage by Hamas" on X, formerly known as Twitter.
"Such senseless violence will only repeat the back and forth cycle we've seen, which we cannot allow to continue," Omar wrote.
"We need to call for deescalation and ceasefire," she continued. "I will keep advocating for peace and justice throughout the Middle East."
In 2021, Omar landed in hot water with senior members of her own party as well as her opponents when she compared America and Israel to murderous terrorist groups Hamas and the Taliban, saying the two democracies have committed "unthinkable atrocities."
Additionally, during a 2021 ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, Omar said the fighting stopping wasn’t enough and that the U.S. was "underwriting crimes against humanity" through support for Israel and that there needed to be "accountability for every war crime committed."
Amid the 2021 conflict, Omar also accused Israel of engaging in "terrorism" through their airstrikes that tragically killed civilians in the Gaza Strip.
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Other "Squad" and Democratic lawmakers have called for an Israeli ceasefire, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., and Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo.
As of Friday, at least 5,600 people have been killed in the war on both sides, including at least 1,400 Israeli civilians and soldiers and 32 Americans. The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry claims at least 4,137 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza and the West Bank and more than 13,162 wounded.
FOX News’ Houston Keene and Landon Mion contributed to this report.
