Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina appeared on NBC's Meet the Press to discuss the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. He expressed hope that Israel could do more to limit civilian casualties and warned that Israel must consider its handling of Palestinians if it wishes to pursue normalization with Saudi Arabia. The Biden administration views the creation of formal diplomatic ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia as an important foreign policy goal, and Graham praised their efforts to normalize relations between the two countries.
Posts tagged as “Meet the Pres”
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) is confident he can win the upcoming Iowa caucus despite trailing former President Donald Trump in the polls. He has released an ad featuring Iowa voters who voted for Trump in the past but are now supporting DeSantis, and has pledged to offer an alternative health care plan to Obamacare if elected. The Iowa caucus will be a key indicator of the race for the Republican nomination.
The Biden administration has expressed optimism that an American hostage will be released on Sunday, the third day of a temporary cease-fire between Israel and Hamas. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has said that the U.S. has "reason to believe that Americans will be released today — at least one American will be released today." The cease-fire, which was brokered by Egypt, is set to expire on Tuesday and it is unclear if the hostage release will be part of a larger agreement between the two sides.
Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer did not directly answer questions about the Israeli raid on Shifa Hospital in Gaza, which the Qatari Prime Minister called a "crime". Israeli officials released images of what they said were Hamas fighters taking captured Israeli military vehicles to the hospital on the same day, resulting in hundreds of patients, including 31 premature babies, having to be evacuated. Finer noted that several civilians took refuge at the hospital during the conflict, sparking a debate over whether Israel is breaking international law.
The United States is working to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, with Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer appearing on Sunday news shows to discuss the situation. Finer noted that a deal between Israel and Hamas is close, but that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed. The White House is committed to doing everything it can to bring hostages home safely, and is working directly and intensively behind the scenes to achieve this goal.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has invited former U.S. President Donald Trump to visit Ukraine and warned that he could debunk Trump's claim that he could end the war between Russia and Ukraine in 24 hours. Zelenskyy believes that only by visiting Ukraine can Trump understand the details of the conflict and that he is "very welcome" to do so.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected suggestions that the war with Russia has reached a stalemate, and has pleaded for the U.S. to provide more weapons. Opposition in Congress to providing more weapons appears to be rising, and Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S. Oksana Markarova has said that the Ukrainian government is running very short of U.S.-provided aid. The war in the Middle East is also diverting some attention from the war in Ukraine, making the situation increasingly dire.
Key takeaways: More than 8,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli bombardment of Gaza The Biden administration has issued a single-word warning for Iran…