"Lawmakers advocate for increased U.S. military involvement in Hamas conflict after Israel visit"

U.S. lawmakers who recently visited Israel believe that while there are no plans for U.S. combat troops to be deployed, the American military can play a significant role in the conflict with Hamas. They emphasized the importance of U.S. intelligence gathering and sharing to help Israel locate and free hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. The Pentagon has already sent a small group of special operations forces to assist with intelligence and planning, but they will not be directly involved in hostage rescue operations. The lawmakers also discussed the Abraham Accords for normalizing Arab-Israeli relations and expressed the need for unity against Iran and its terrorist proxies. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has arrived in Israel and directed military support, including an aircraft carrier strike group and additional fighter aircraft. The U.S. military is also providing aid, including Iron Dome interceptors, and is willing to share lessons learned about operating effectively in dense urban terrain. The lawmakers believe that the deployment of carrier groups sends a strong message to Israel's adversaries in the region, particularly Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iran. President Joe Biden is expected to request emergency spending for aid to Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan, but Congress's leadership crisis may impede progress. The delegation also met with leaders from Bahrain, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia to discuss peace efforts in the region.