McCaul: We will help Israel protect itself against 'terrorism' supported by the Islamic Republic

The Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Michael McCaul, stated on Thursday during a committee meeting that the United States stands firmly alongside its long-time ally, Israel, as it defends itself against terrorism supported by the Islamic Republic. McCaul referred to Hamas as 'Iran-supported terrorists' and described their October 7 attack on the people of Israel as a 'brutal terrorist attack' and a massacre of women, children, and infants. He asserted that Hamas has committed 'crimes against humanity' and that any support for these 'war criminals' is indefensible. He added, 'Accordingly, we are considering a plan to impose sanctions on any person, group, or country that supports Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad.' He further noted, 'Hamas has shown us exactly who they are. They have no regard for human life, whether young or old, Israeli or Palestinian, and are continuously financially supported by the Islamic Republic of Iran. They are currently holding over 200 innocent hostages in Gaza, which again underscores the necessity of protecting Americans from further hostage-taking by the Islamic Republic.' McCaul also referenced the 'Joe Wilson' bill and the law prohibiting payments to hostage-takers, stating that this plan would require the government to enforce Levinson Act sanctions regarding hostage-taking and, if necessary, deny visa requests for certain Iranian officials to travel to the United Nations. The Chairman emphasized the need to limit the resources of America's enemies and strengthen U.S. deterrence against those who seek to harm America, stating, 'For this reason, I have introduced a bipartisan resolution to explicitly declare that the United States will never accept a nuclear Iran and that the Islamic Republic must never acquire nuclear weapons.'