Israeli FM Sa’ar: Hamas not ready to disarm

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar on Tuesday dismissed the idea that the Hamas terrorist organization is prepared to lay down its arms.

“I don’t see any indication that Hamas is ready to disarm,” Sa’ar said in an interview with ABC News chief national correspondent Matt Gutman.

Sa’ar emphasized that if Hamas were to disarm, it would significantly alter the current conflict. “That would be a huge development—one that could change the entire equation. But up until now, they have been very clear and decisive that they will not disarm,” he said.

Instead, Sa’ar said Hamas appears to be considering an alternative approach modeled after Hezbollah in Lebanon. “They are looking at a different approach, something similar to the Hezbollah model—allowing someone else to handle the ruins they left behind in the Gaza Strip while they remain the most powerful military force there. Their goal is to continue the war against Israel,” he said.

This, he continued, “is totally unacceptable. For us, there is no way to guarantee our security without the complete disarmament of the Gaza Strip—Hamas, Islamic Jihad, all of them.”

The Israeli government has repeatedly defined the dismantlement of Hamas’s military capabilities as a key war goal.