Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) expressed concern Wednesday that Israel was “forced” to sign a cease-fire agreement with the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
“I hope they won’t be forced to make a deal before they finish what needs to be done, which is the destruction of Hamas. That way, Hamas won’t be able to rise up again and threaten them again in a few years. Johnson told NewsNation’s Blake Burman on “The Hill.”
The ceasefire agreement, unveiled Wednesday, is expected to begin Sunday. The first phase would involve a six-week ceasefire and Hamas would release about 94 survivors and 33 hostages among the dead. .
President Biden welcomed the agreement Wednesday, saying, “It was not easy to get this deal done.”
“I have worked in foreign policy for decades. This was one of the hardest negotiations I have ever experienced. “The reason we got to this point is because Israel, with the support of the United States, put pressure on Hamas,” he added.
White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in an interview earlier this week that the United States is very close to a ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza.
“First, we are very close to a cease-fire and a hostage deal, and I think there is a very clear possibility that we can get that done this week before President Biden leaves office,” Sullivan said Monday.
In an appearance on NewsNation on Wednesday, Johnson said the ceasefire agreement was “good news.”
“It’s good to see the violence stopping,” he added. “I hope that continues, but we need to see all the hostages released. “We need to determine the cause of all hostages.”
NewsNation is owned by Nexstar Media Group, which also owns The Hill.
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