Sen. Lindsey Graham (R.S.C.) said Israel has an opportunity for new leadership in the Gaza Strip, saying last week that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind behind the Oct. 7 attack, His murder prompted action.
“We have a window here to not only end the fighting, but permanently replace Hamas,” Graham said on NBC's “Meet the Press.” “And the way to do that is to achieve normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel. With Sinwar's death, we will not only find a way to get Israel to hand over Gaza and eventually Lebanon. The door has been opened for it to be replaced by an Arab coalition that will provide a better life for the Palestinians. ”
“I have never been more hopeful that normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel is possible,” he added. “I've been working with the Biden administration for over a year and a half, and I think we're very close.”
Israel Defense Forces: 'The mission is not over' and 'we will not rest' until hostages return
Sen. Lindsey Graham holds a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on July 31, 2024. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
Graham, who is working with the Biden administration to broker an agreement for Israel and Saudi Arabia to establish diplomatic relations by the end of the year, also told NBC host Kristen Welker that Israel's impending counterattack against Iran is likely He said he expected it, but refused to supply it. A more specific timeline.
“I don't have direct knowledge, but I do know that they are seriously trying to strike back,” Graham said, noting that Iran recently fired nearly 200 missiles at Israel. “I think it will happen soon and I think it will be a big blow. But again, the more we can reduce Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas, the better for the region. The key is that a normalization deal is now more likely than ever.”
President Biden meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office of the White House on July 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)
US investigating Israel's release of classified documents related to plan to attack Iran
Meanwhile, the US is reportedly investigating with US intelligence agencies the unauthorized leak of classified documents about Israel's plans to attack Iran that were posted on Telegram last week.
A banner with a photo of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who was killed in an Israeli attack, is hung on a street in Tehran, Iran, on October 19, 2024. (Fateme Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Iran supports Hamas and Lebanon-based Hezbollah, both of which are designated foreign terrorist organizations by the State Department. The United States has called on Israel to seek a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip following last week's killing of Sinwar. But after months of negotiations were suspended in August, neither Israel nor Hamas has shown interest in such a deal, the Associated Press reported.
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The Israeli government said a drone targeted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's home on Saturday, causing no casualties, as the battle with Hezbollah and Hamas terrorists continues.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
