Sen. Lankford warns delay in Gaza invasion will only benefit Hamas

Sen. Lankford warns delay in Gaza invasion will only benefit Hamas

Sen. Hames Lankford, R-Ok., says any delay to Israel plans begin a ground invasion of Gaza will ultimately benefit Hamas.

Lankford made teh statement during a Sunday morning appearance on CNN's "State of the Union" with host Jake tapper. Tapper asked the senator whether a delay was wise and whether an invasion could trigger the killings of Israeli hostages in Gaza.

"Hamas has about 500 miles' worth of tunnels underneath all of the area in Gaza. So it's a very complicated environment to be able to hide hostages. Right now, Israel is trying to be able to bombard some of those areas. They know where there is Hamas fighters, where there are leadership, and where there are key whether ammunition depot, missile storage, or, obviously, where their military typically functions underground," Lankford wrote.

"But going after hostages is incredibly difficult in an urban environment, because no one knows where they are. Hamas is obviously trickling them out...But if you stop right now and if you pause, it gives opportunity for Hamas to dig in more and to be able to lay more booby traps," he added.

Lankford went on to acknowledge that the safety of the hostages in Gaza, numbering at least 229, is a top priority.