From Jerusalem — Without Illusions: Why the Disarmament of Hamas Became the Point of No Return

The Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar held a meeting in Israel with one of the most influential allies of the Jewish state in the USA — Senator Lindsey Graham. The conversation was tough and extremely specific: Gaza, regional security, and the limits of tolerance towards terrorist structures.

According to Sa’ar, the future of Gaza — reconstruction, economy, normal life — is possible only under one condition: the disarmament of Hamas. And here, he emphasized, Israel no longer has room for self-deception. Hamas is not only not disarming — it is trying to strengthen its power in the sector, restore infrastructure, and maintain control. Israel, the minister stated, will not allow this.

During the visit, Senator Graham confirmed this assessment. He directly stated that Hamas terrorists use pauses and diplomatic maneuvers to prepare for a new war. According to him, the same logic is seen in the actions of Hezbollah — increasing weapons production, restoring combat potential, betting on prolonged confrontation.

These statements were made in Jerusalem during Graham’s meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, just a few days before the Israeli Prime Minister’s visit to the USA. The context was obvious: regional security is directly linked to global security.

Graham formulated the position harshly and without diplomatic softening. According to him, despite the achievements of 2025, the goal is to make 2026 a year of peace, not a respite before a new war. His conclusion is unequivocal: Hamas is not going to leave Gaza and is not going to lay down its arms.

Against this backdrop, the senator also reminded of a broader front. In an interview with NBC, he stated that if Putin says “no” again, the rules of the game must be radically changed. Among the proposed measures are recognizing Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism for the abduction of Ukrainian children, strict tariffs for countries buying Russian oil, and the detention of ships with sanctioned energy resources — following the Venezuelan scenario.

Moreover, Graham allowed for the transfer of Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine for strikes on missile and drone production plants in Russia. The formula is simple: if the aggressor does not stop — the pressure must increase.

It’s hard to argue with this logic. The only amendment that analysts are increasingly making: peace initiatives cannot start with concessions. They must start with the implementation of specific forceful and sanction steps, otherwise, negotiations only fix future failure.

The public dimension is also important. According to polls published by Politico, almost 40% of Americans support increasing military aid to Ukraine, and only about 20% are against it. For the Republican Party, this is a window of opportunity, not a risk.

In Europe, the picture is more alarming: in Germany, only a quarter support increased aid to Ukraine, in France, society is almost evenly split. This is why Washington’s role as a leader is becoming critically important again.

The conclusion, which is increasingly heard in both Jerusalem and Washington, is simple: to confront evil, one must stop believing in Moscow’s tales and start acting based on reality. This reality is today recorded and analyzed by NAnews — News of Israel | Nikk.Agency, viewing Israel’s security as part of the global struggle for a sustainable order.