Hamas goes for Graham over support for Israel

Hamas on Monday condemned Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., after he voiced his support for Israel in its fight against the terrorist group.

Hamas said Graham's comments "illustrate the profound moral downfall he has reached and the genocidal, colonial mindset that resides within him, along with sectors of the political elite in the United States," according to a statement, originally in Arabic, published by multiple Hamas-affiliated media channels on the messaging platform Telegram. 

"We, at Hamas, condemn these calls and stances, which come in the context of showing loyalty to the fascist occupation and make their proponents complicit in the genocide war," the terrorist group said. 

Hamas made Graham the subject of its ire after he appeared on NBC News' "Meet the Press" on Sunday and criticized President Joe Biden for withholding weapons from Israel over its operation in Rafah, which Israel says is the final stronghold of Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Graham said that that the U.S. "should unequivocally support Israel as the country fights people who are "bent on destroying all of the Jews," which is reflected in the founding charter of Hamas.

"This idea of withholding weapons to Israel is rewarding the tactics of Hamas to put civilians at risk. Here's my statement to the administration: 'Sit down with Israel, keep the weapons flowing and work out a plan, if you can, that gets us all to where we need to be,'" Graham also said.

Host Kristen Welker asked Graham why "more precise" weapons couldn't be given to Israel rather than larger bombs. 

Graham replied by saying that the U.S. was correct in dropping two nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and now, as Israel faces off against three groups – Iran and its two proxies of Hezbollah and Hamas – the U.S. needs to "give Israel the bombs they need to end the war they can't afford to lose and work with them to minimize casualties."

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