US Sen Lindsey Graham says President-elect Trump seeks Gaza agreement before January inauguration

U.S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who recently met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel, said U.S. President-elect Donald Trump seeks to secure a deal with Hamas in Gaza before his inauguration in January.

“Trump is more determined than ever to release the hostages and supports a ceasefire that includes a hostage deal. He wants to see it happening now,” Graham said in an interview with the Axios news site.

“I want people in Israel and in the region to know that Trump is focused on the hostages issue. He wants the killing to stop and the fighting to end,” he continued. “I hope President Trump and the Biden administration will work together during the transition period to release the hostages and get a ceasefire.”

Trump had previously told Netanyahu that he wanted the war in Gaza to end quickly, with a decisive Israeli victory. During the Republican National Convention in July, Trump warned that Hamas would “pay a very big price” if the terror group did not release the American hostages before he assumed office in January.

Following the elimination of Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar and the recent ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas has increasingly signaled interest in reaching an agreement with Israel. A Hamas delegation is scheduled to meet with Egyptian officials in Cairo on Saturday.

In early November, Dr. Sagi Barmak, the editor-in-chief of Israel's HaShiloach magazine, predicted that Trump would prioritize ending the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon while focusing on advancing the highly anticipated normalization deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel.

“Trump will want to close the wars in Gaza and Lebanon and bring them to an end so that he can advance a deal with the Saudis,” Barmak said. While some fear that Trump might pressure Israel to end the war prematurely, Barmak believes he would hinder the Jewish state from taking legitimate actions against Iran and its terrorist proxies. Like many analysts, Barmak anticipates that Trump will push for stricter actions against the Iranian regime.

“The disaster with the Biden administration was the product of the policy of de-escalation,” he added.

In October, Graham called for a Saudi-Israeli normalization deal by the end of 2024, while U.S. President Joe Biden was still in office.

“I think the time to do this is on Biden’s watch,” Graham said, arguing that U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is “far more beholden to the left” than Biden and would likely prioritize other issues over Middle Eastern affairs.

While Graham backs Trump, he said he was concerned that segments of the Democrat establishment might oppose a Trump-brokered Middle East peace deal between the Saudi Kingdom and the Jewish state.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich recently articulated support for “voluntary emigration” of Gazans and the establishment of permanent Israeli communities in Gaza, which would complicate future agreements regarding Gaza territory. While Graham is a strong Israel supporter, he nevertheless firmly rejected Smotrich’s proposal.

“I think he should talk to Trump and hear what he wants. If you haven’t spoken to him, I wouldn’t put words in his mouth,” Graham said, adding that it would not be in Israel’s interest to maintain long-term control of Gaza.

“The best insurance policy against Hamas is not an Israeli reoccupation of Gaza but a reform in the Palestinian society. The only ones who can do that are the Arab countries,” he noted.