US Senator Warns of Hamas and Hezbollah Rearming Amid Gaza Ceasefire

During a visit to Israel on Sunday, US Senator Lindsey Graham accused Hamas and Hezbollah of rebuilding their military capabilities, saying the Palestinian group was also trying to strengthen its control over Gaza.

Graham made the comments as a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in place since October after two years of conflict, continues to hold despite accusations of violations from both sides.

He also warned that Hezbollah, the Lebanese movement allied with Iran, appears to be rearming, following a ceasefire with Israel that began in November 2024 after more than a year of hostilities. Israel, however, has continued to carry out strikes in Lebanon.

“My impression is that Hamas is not disarming; they are rearming and consolidating power in Gaza,” Graham said in a video released by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office. He added that Hezbollah was also seeking to produce more weapons, which he described as “not an acceptable outcome.”

Netanyahu responded by praising Graham as a “great friend of Israel.”

The senator’s statements come shortly after the US, Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey urged both sides in the Gaza conflict to respect the ceasefire. Mediators are pushing for a second phase of the truce, which would include an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the creation of an interim authority to replace Hamas, and the deployment of an international stabilization force.

This phase also calls for the demilitarization of Gaza, including Hamas disarmament. Hamas has urged mediators and the United States to stop Israeli “violations” of the ceasefire.