How the 5 Candidates Would Handle Israel-Hamas

One issue the five GOP candidates on stage Wednesday night agree upon appears to be Israel, or more specifically the need to wipe out Hamas. All were asked how they would respond to the Israel-Hamas situation:

• Ron DeSantis: He said Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu should "finish the job once and for all with these butchers, Hamas." The Florida governor also said he was "sick of hearing other people blame Israel for defending itself," and he called for students who criticize Israel or join protests on behalf of Palestinians to be deported, reports the Washington Post.
• Nikki Haley: She, too, called for Israel to "finish" Hamas, per the Hill. "The last thing we need to do is to tell Israel what to do," said the former UN ambassador. "The only thing we should be doing is supporting them in eliminating Hamas." The US, she added, should give Israel "whatever they need, whenever they need it."

• Chris Christie: He said the US must work with Israel to go after Hamas and make sure "something like this can't happen to kill 1,400 individuals again." However, Christie faulted Netanyahu and Israeli's leaders for allowing the attack to happen. "They failed here, and they failed the people of the state of Israel," he said.
• Tim Scott: The South Carolina senator said he would send a clear message to Netanyahu: "Not only do you have the responsibility and the right to wipe Hamas off of the map, we will support you," he said, per Politico. Scott also called for strikes on Iran, a Hamas supporter, and he supported DeSantis' call to deport students who protest against Israel.
• Vivek Ramaswamy: He said he would tell Netanyahu "to smoke those terrorists on his southern border," adding: "I'll tell him as president of the United States, I'll be smoking the terrorists on our southern border. That's his responsibility. This is our responsibility." He faulted the "mistakes from the neocon establishment of the past," suggesting he thought the US has been too involved in the Mideast, per the New York Times.

(More Republican debate stories.)