Sen. Warner: Development of New Port Crucial for Ongoing Aid to Gaza

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner, ahead of Monday’s annual Senate hearing on worldwide threats, is calling President Joe Biden’s call for a port in Gaza to bring in humanitarian aid the right move to make, considering the United States’ role in such efforts over the years. 

“The United States has been the largest single donor to humanitarian efforts for years in the region, and I think it is important that we continue to show that,” the Virginia Democrat said during an extensive interview airing on CBS’ “Face the Nation” Sunday. 

He and Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., the Intelligence Committee’s vice-chairman, spoke with the network before Biden’s State of the Union address. 

The United States dropped some supplies recently through an airlift, but Warner said that approach was “more symbolic” than effective. 

“I think it is the right thing to do in terms of as we go into Ramadan, lowering some of the tension, but showing America’s concern for humanitarian costs the region,” said Warner. 

Rubio, meanwhile, said he believes the United States should keep its troops in the region, as it is a “mistake” to see the Hamas Oct. 7 attacks solely as a question of the Palestinian/Israel conflict. 

“The broader objective is that Iran has to drive the U.S. out of the region,” he said. “It is why they’re conducting attacks in Iraq and Syria. They want a U.S. troop presence out of the region completely.”

Iran wants the United States out because American troops are stationed at key points Iran wants to dominate, Rubio added.

“If we were gone, these proxy groups would be at the border of Jordan and be able to threaten Jordan and Israel as a result,” he said. “I am concerned whether it’s Hezbollah in the north of Israel, what’s happening in Gaza, whether it’s what’s happening with Yemen, the risk of conflict is very real.”

Warner agreed that the troops should remain in the region. 

Rubio added that Hamas, through its push to build its system of tunnels, has spent millions of dollars that could have gone to create the nation’s economy. 

“There’s a real concern and a legitimate reason to believe any aid that goes in will be grabbed by Hamas and used for their purposes at the expense of the civilian population,” he said.

U.S. Ambassador David Satterfield has written letters to Congress that there is no evidence that Hamas is stealing aid, and while Rubio disagreed, Warner said he believes there must be a distribution point for the items. 

“This tunnel network, which is close to 500 kilometers, I don’t think any of us fully expected that,” said Warner. “Most of us, even in the region, thought the Israeli defense forces would be able to take out Hamas, [but] 140 days in, they basically have taken out only about 35% of the Hamas fighters. They really have only penetrated less than a third of the tunnel network.”

He also said that he does not believe it will be possible to stop every Hamas fighter, even with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declaring victory is only weeks away.

“Meeting with folks in Israel in the military community, in the intelligence community, the idea that you’re going to eliminate every Hamas fighter, I don’t think is a realistic goal,” Warner said.