Trump seeks ceasefire in Gaza before return to White House, Graham says

President-elect Donald Trump wants ceasefire in Gaza before returning to White House, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told Axios. The Biden administration has struggled to broker a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas in order to bring home the remaining 100 hostages being held by Hamas militants, including six Americans.

That number was seven Americans until the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed Monday, Dec. 2, that an Israeli-American soldier from New York was killed by Hamas.

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

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Graham visited the Middle East during the week of Nov. 25, where he met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. During the trip, they discussed normalizing relations between Israel and Arab countries.

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

Meanwhile, a Hamas delegation met with Egyptian intelligence officials in Cairo on Saturday, Nov. 30, to discuss ceasefire options and the possibility of increasing aid to Gaza through the Rafah crossing.

“Our Palestinian people are waiting for American and international pressure on Netanyahu to stop the war and reach an agreement, as happened in Lebanon,” a Hamas official said.