Senator Lindsey Graham said President Donald Trump should give Israeli Prime Minister the green light to restart wars in Gaza and Lebanon if Hamas and Hezbollah do not disarm. While Tel Aviv has agreed to ceasefires with both groups, Israel has continued to attack and occupy southern Lebanon and the Strip. 

“It’s imperative we come up with a plan quickly, put Hamas on a time clock, give them a period of time to achieve the goal of disarmament,” Graham said on a trip to Israel. “And if you don’t, I would encourage President Trump to unleash Israel to go finish off Hamas.”

The Senator added, “If Hezbollah refuses to give up their heavy weapons, down the road we should engage in military operations working with Lebanon, Israel and the United States, where we fly with Israel… to take Hezbollah out.”

In October, Hamas and Israel agreed to a ceasefire and hostage exchange. While Hamas has complied with the terms, Israel has bombed the Strip almost every day during the truce, killing over 400 people. 

Tel Aviv has a similar policy for Lebanon. Near the end of last year, Hezbollah and Israel agreed to a ceasefire. Hezbollah withdrew its forces from the border region and ended missile attacks on Israel. However, Israel has continued to pound its neighbor with airstrikes, and the IDF has continued to occupy southern Lebanon. 

Washington and Tel Aviv are now demanding that Beirut disarm Hezbollah. Some analysts have argued that if the Lebanese government attempts to strip arms from the Shia group, it could cause a civil war.