Senator Lindsey Graham (R-Israel) has recommended that Israel threaten to “blow up” Iranian oil refineries if the remaining hostages held by Hamas in the October 7 terror attacks are not released immediately.
Appearing on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Graham was asked to comment on reports that the Israeli military had preemptively destroyed thousands of Hezbollah rocket launchers in Lebanon ahead of planned attacks on Israel this weekend, as well as hostage and ceasefire talks that were set to resume Sunday in Cairo, Egypt.
“How should the United States respond to what’s happening in the Middle East? What message do you want to send on reaching a ceasefire and hostage release agreement?” CNN reporter Jake Tapper asked the senator.
“First of all, let’s not forget that I believe the October 7 attack was carried out to prevent normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel. It is a nightmare for Iran and its proxies to have Arab countries and Israel reconcile and make peace and steer the region in a different direction,” Graham said. “As for the hostages, I hold Iran responsible for their safety.”
“If I were the state of Israel, I would tell the ayatollah that if the survivors don’t come back alive, if we don’t recover the bodies of those killed, we’re going to blow up the oil refinery. The only way to release the hostages is to put pressure on Iran,” Graham added.
Netanyahu vows more ‘surprise attacks’ after Israel blocks ‘thousands’ of Hezbollah rockets: ‘This is not the end’
Sen. Lindsey Graham in Kyiv, Ukraine, Aug. 12, 2024. Graham on Sunday responded to Israel’s preemptive strikes on Hezbollah rocket launchers. (Ukrinform/Nurphoto via Getty Images)
Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu The Palestinian Authority in Tehran vowed Sunday to launch further “surprise attacks” against the Iran-backed terrorist group after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reportedly struck a launch site in Lebanon just minutes before Hezbollah planned to fire thousands of rockets into central Israel.
“What happened today is not the end of the story. Hezbollah attempted to attack the State of Israel with rockets and drones early this morning,” Netanyahu said at a government meeting in Tel Aviv. “We have instructed the IDF to launch a powerful pre-emptive strike to eliminate the threat.”
Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Michael Herzog, said on CBS’ “Face the Nation” that the IDF’s operations had prevented the conflict from escalating.
“We learned of specific plans and preparations by Hezbollah to launch major missile and drone attacks on Israel,” Herzog said, “and we conducted real-time operations to degrade those capabilities as they were about to be launched. We were successful. Nevertheless, they launched hundreds of rockets into Israel, and also launched drones aimed at central Israel, and we intercepted them all. One of our soldiers was killed in the wreckage of an Israeli interceptor.”
On August 24, 2024, protesters in Tel Aviv, Israel, demanded that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government sign a ceasefire with the Palestinians, agree to a hostage exchange deal with Hamas and hold early elections. (Mostafa Alharouf/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“We believe that the success of yesterday’s operation has prevented an escalation into a full-scale war,” he added. “The threat still exists. Reconciliation with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon is still necessary.”
Israel is fighting on several fronts against Iranian-backed terrorist groups, including Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon. The war in Gaza began when Hamas and other terrorists launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Hamas is believed to still be holding about 110 hostages. Israeli officials estimate that about a third have died.
Israel strikes Lebanese targets to thwart Hezbollah attack preparations: IDF
The Israeli army said on Friday that four more soldiers were killed in fighting in central Gaza.
In Egypt, a U.S. delegation led by CIA Director William Burns and White House Assistant for the Middle East, Brett McGurk, met with senior Egyptian officials and then with Egyptian and Qatari intermediaries, said a person familiar with the meetings who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Galant meet at the Israeli Ministry of Defense on August 25, 2024, following the Israel Defense Forces’ preemptive strike against Hezbollah. (Israel Government Press Office)
Egyptian and Qatari negotiators are scheduled to meet with their Hamas counterparts on Saturday evening. Senior Hamas official Mahmoud Merdawi told The Associated Press that Hamas would not take a direct part in Sunday’s talks but would receive briefings from Egypt and Qatar. Merdawi said Hamas’ position had not changed from accepting an earlier draft that included a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.
The Israeli delegation that arrived on Thursday included Maj. Gen. Eliezer Toledano, head of the foreign intelligence agency Mossad and the security service Shin Bet.
The United States is pushing a proposal aimed at bridging the gap between Israel and Hamas amid growing fears of an escalating regional war following recent killings of leaders of the Hamas and Hezbollah terrorist groups blamed on Israel.
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President Biden called Netanyahu on Wednesday to stress the urgency of reaching a deal, and on Friday he discussed progress with the leaders of Qatar and Egypt.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
