U.S. Lawmakers React to the Killing of Israeli Hostages; Lindsey Graham: Iran Must Be Held Responsible

Several Democratic lawmakers in the U.S. reacted on Sunday to the killing of six hostages held by Hamas in an underground tunnel in Gaza, calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. According to Reuters, Republicans criticized President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for their 'lack of stronger support for Israel.' Israel found the bodies of six hostages in a tunnel in Gaza, reportedly killed shortly before Israeli forces arrived. This report sparked protests in Israel on Sunday and planned strikes due to their failure to be rescued. According to the Israeli army, the bodies of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an Israeli-American citizen, as well as Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi, and Uri Danino have been returned to Israel. A White House official also stated that Joe Biden spoke with the parents of Goldberg-Polin, Rachel Goldberg and John Polin, who attended the Democratic National Convention in Chicago last month, to express condolences. Another U.S. official, Jake Sullivan, the White House National Security Advisor, also held a virtual meeting on Sunday with the families of American hostages still held by Hamas. Dick Durbin, a Democratic senator from the U.S., expressed his deep sadness upon hearing the news of Goldberg-Polin's death, reflecting the sentiments of other American officials and lawmakers. Durbin stated that a ceasefire must be achieved quickly to allow for the release of all remaining hostages, to facilitate humanitarian aid to Gaza, and to turn a long-term vision for 'peace and stability' into reality. Meanwhile, on Sunday, Republican lawmakers did not call for stronger pressure on Israel to negotiate a ceasefire, and some blamed the Biden administration and Vice President Kamala Harris for insufficient support for Israel. Tom Cotton, a Republican senator from Arkansas, stated: 'They (Biden and Harris) continue to encourage and embolden Hamas by asking [Israel] for a ceasefire.' In response to a question about what the Netanyahu government should do in the face of growing protests in Israel, he said: 'I urge him to finish the work against Hamas; that is exactly what Kamala Harris and Joe Biden should have done from the very beginning.' In a statement released by the White House just before midnight on Saturday, Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for the November 2024 presidential election, did not call for a ceasefire and condemned Hamas for the casualties. Lindsey Graham, a Republican senator, called for more pressure on the Iranian government, Hamas's main supporter, and told ABC's 'This Week' that the Biden administration and Israel 'must hold [the Islamic Republic of] Iran accountable for the fate of the remaining hostages, and if the hostages are not released, they should put Iranian oil refineries on the target list [for attack].' The Israeli ambassador to the UN stated that dealing with armed groups in the Middle East must include confronting the Iranian government. A senior U.S. military official noted that the risk of a broader war in the Middle East has decreased, but the Islamic Republic remains a significant threat. John Kirby emphasized America's readiness to defend Israel against a potential attack by the Islamic Republic. Israelis expressed satisfaction over the thwarting of a Hezbollah attack; Jerusalem stated that the situation on the northern borders is 'not stable.'