Sen. Lindsey Graham Says There's No Way To For Israel To Negotiate An End To The War With Hamas

WASHINGTON — Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said successful an question and reply connected NBC News’ “Meet nan Press” connected Sunday that he believes location is nary measurement for Israel to safely discuss an extremity to nan warfare pinch Hamas and that Israel would return complete Gaza, comparing nan move to U.S. actions astatine nan extremity of World War II.

Graham said he believed Israel has concluded “that they can’t execute a extremity of ending nan warfare pinch Hamas that would beryllium satisfactory to nan information of Israel.”

“I deliberation President Trump has travel to believe, and I surely person travel to believe, there’s nary measurement you’re going to discuss an extremity of this warfare pinch Hamas,” Graham said.

“They’re going to do successful Gaza what we did successful Tokyo and Berlin, return nan spot by unit and commencement complete again, presenting a amended early for nan Palestinians, hopefully having nan Arabs return complete nan West Bank and Gaza,” he later added.

His comments travel arsenic Israel is facing mounting world unit complete a increasing hunger situation successful Gaza, wherever astatine slightest 133 group person died by starvation, according to nan Gaza Health Ministry. On Sunday, Israel announced a region successful fighting successful parts of Gaza to facilitate assistance delivery.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously said that Israel was “moving toward afloat control” of Gaza. Ceasefire discussions person stalled successful caller days, and nan White House’s typical envoy Steve Witkoff past week brought location nan U.S. negotiating team, which had been participating successful talks successful Qatar.

Asked whether a takeover of Gaza would mean hostages would not travel location alive, Graham said, “I dream not.”

“I deliberation location are group possibly successful nan Hamas statement that would judge safe transition if they merchandise nan hostages,” Graham said. “If I were Israel, I’d make that connection to Hamas fighters: ‘You tin time off safely. We want our hostages back.’”

Graham continues advocating for typical counsel to analyse Obama claims

Graham connected Sunday advocated for a typical counsel to analyse Republicans’ claims that President Barack Obama tried to power an intelligence appraisal astir Russian interference successful nan 2016 election.

These claims came to nan fore past week erstwhile Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard alleged during a property briefing that nan erstwhile president participated successful a “treasonous conspiracy” to harm Trump’s campaign.

Obama spokesperson Patrick Rodenbush has said that nan “bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a anemic effort astatine distraction.” NBC News has besides reported that erstwhile CIA serviceman Susan Miller, who helped lead nan squad that produced a study connected Russia’s actions during nan 2016 election, defended nan study and said nan White House was “lying” astir it.

Graham said Sunday that “the champion measurement to grip this is if location is grounds of a crime being committed, aliases suspected grounds of a crime being committed, create a typical counsel to look astatine it.”

A typical counsel had antecedently been appointed during nan first Trump management to analyse nan origins of nan Russia probe, and successful 2023, then-special counsel John Durham argued that definite FBI unit “displayed a superior deficiency of analytical rigor toward nan accusation they received.”

A 2020 Senate study backed up the appraisal that Russia interfered successful nan 2016 statesmanlike election, pinch nan then-chair of nan Senate intelligence committee, a Republican, saying: “The Committee recovered nary logic to conflict nan Intelligence Community’s conclusions.”

In caller days, critics person accused Republicans of trying to move nan spotlight connected Obama to distract from mounting disapproval of nan White House’s handling of files related to Jeffrey Epstein.

Asked whether he was trying to rewrite history to distract from nan Epstein news, Graham said: “At nan extremity of nan day, I’m not calling for prosecution against President Obama for treason, but I americium calling for an investigation.”