Senate Delegation Issues Iran Warning as Nuclear Threat Grows, Israel Awaits Next Hostage Release

JERUSALEM, Israel – While the world focuses on Hamas and the hostages in Gaza, a U.S. Senate delegation visiting Israel warns Iran poses a much greater threat to the world as it rushes to develop nuclear bombs.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) believes the Trump administration can try the uncertain path of attempting to force Iran economically and diplomatically to abandon its nuclear goals or the U.S. can end that threat for certain militarily.

“Where we help Israel deliver a decisive blow against Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. I prefer that path," Graham said.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar told U.S. lawmakers Iran's only way to maintain power in the region is to acquire nuclear weapons.

Sa'ar wrote on X, "I emphasized that Iran seeks to compensate for its weakened position by obtaining nuclear weapons. It must be stopped."

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This first Senate delegation to visit Israel since President Donald Trump returned to the White House showed tepid approval of his plan to empty out Gaza and have the U.S. assume control there.

Graham stated, "There's very little appetite that I've seen in the United States Senate for America to take over Gaza in any way, shape, or form."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wholeheartedly backs the Trump plan, but Graham says he'll only support a clearing out of Palestinians if they want to go. "I will work with Israel to find countries that would host Palestinians if they choose to leave, but we're not talking about a forced exodus," he said.

Israel believes many Gazans want to get out as they return to see the utter decimation of their homes and neighborhoods.

Mohammed Barash, a resident of Bureij, observed, “Everything is destroyed. Nothing is left in Gaza. Gaza is not fit for life.”

What Netanyahu will not accept for Gaza's future is a rumored transfer of power there from Hamas to the Palestinian Authority. Many Israelis believe the P.A. backs terror and genocide against Jews as much as Hamas does.

Avi Abelow from Pulse of Israel, claimed, "They only exist in order to kill us. And there's no difference between the Islamo-Nazis called Hamas and the Islamo-Nazis called Palestinian Authority. (The) Palestinian Authority gives a nice percentage of its budget to terrorists. It gives it to Hamas terrorists. They also want to destroy. There's no difference."

On the hostage front, Hamas is set to hand over the bodies of four murdered hostages on Thursday, three more living captives on Saturday, and four more bodies along with three more live hostages before phase one of the ceasefire ends in early March.

Hostage relatives such as Ilay David are campaigning hard to make sure there is a phase two, which is when his brother would supposedly be freed from the horrors Hamas has inflicted on its captives for more than 500 days.

David explained, "It's so long that these people – my brother included – are suffering. They have not enough food. They have no sunlight. They are kept underground. And they are being through torture. We don’t know Evyatar’s condition. We do know that he’s alive."

In the north, Israeli troops are pulling out of war-torn southern Lebanon, as agreed to in the ceasefire deal between Israel and Lebanon.   

However, Israel is planning to keep troops in five strategic outposts in Lebanon from where they could spot Hezbollah fighters coming toward the border. It's also tripling the number of troops on the Israeli side of that border.

Israel Defense Forces spokesmen say if it looks like the ceasefire is holding, they hope tens of thousands of Israelis who evacuated the border area in 2023 will come back, starting March 2nd.