Austin News

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, along with colleagues including Senators Roger Wicker and Jim Risch, has urged the Biden-Harris Administration to change its policy towards Qatar in relation to Hamas. The senators addressed their concerns in a letter to Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Attorney General Merrick Garland.

The letter emphasized the need for immediate action against Hamas following the Israel Defense Forces' killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. The senators wrote, "The defeat of Hamas is within reach, and ending the safe haven that its leadership enjoys abroad is vital to defeating it."

The letter was also signed by several other Republican senators: Marco Rubio, Tim Scott, Deb Fischer, Tom Cotton, Joni Ernst, Dan Sullivan, Kevin Cramer, Rick Scott, Tommy Tuberville, Ted Budd, and Pete Ricketts.

The senators urged the administration to reverse its policy allowing Qatar to host Hamas leaders. They stated that Qatari officials have indicated they would alter their stance if requested by the U.S., suggesting actions such as freezing assets and restricting travel for Hamas leaders.

Additionally, they called for the extradition of Khaled Meshal from Qatar following unsealed indictments by the Department of Justice on September 3rd. They also advocated for indictments against other senior Hamas officials residing abroad.

"The defeat of Hamas is within reach," reiterated the letter's authors. They pressed for swift action to hold those responsible accountable for their roles in recent attacks.