Mike Waltz, National Security Advisor to the U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, stated that Hamas should never rule the Gaza Strip, calling the group a terrorist organization that must be eliminated.
“Hamas will never rule Gaza. This is completely unacceptable,” Waltz said in an interview with CBS News.
Waltz added that the incoming Trump administration will offer full support to Israel if Hamas violates the ceasefire agreement. “If Hamas withdraws, changes the terms, or does not respect the agreement, we will support Israel in any action they deem necessary,” he said.
The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, officially announced today by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, came into effect at 11:15 AM local time (10:15 AM European time). The pact was delayed for several hours due to Hamas’s failure to provide a list of hostages to be released. The agreement, mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, outlines an initial 42-day ceasefire.
The first phase involves a partial exchange of prisoners, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from urban areas in Gaza, and the entry of humanitarian aid.
Subsequent phases, which include potential stabilization and reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, have yet to be determined.
Waltz reiterated that “allowing Hamas to remain in power would pose a barrier to regional peace” and concluded, “Hamas must be destroyed as a terrorist organization.”
