Retired Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer told Newsmax that he has doubts whether Hamas will renounce violence or honor a deal to free hostages in Gaza, tempering expectations for President Donald Trump's bid to end the Israel-Hamas war.
"I love President Trump. I want the best for the hostages. I want to see them returned. I just don't see this as a path to have that happen," Shaffer said on Newsmax's "Wake Up America Weekend," pointing to Hamas' repeated rejection of past ceasefires. "Color me skeptical."
Shaffer, a former U.S. Army intelligence officer, said any agreement would require the removal of Hamas as a "violent actor" determined to "end the Jewish state." He argued that Western pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accept a Palestinian state amounted to "committing suicide."
Jacob Olidort, director at the America First Policy Institute, struck a more optimistic tone, calling Trump's proposal "the deal of the century."
He noted that Netanyahu has warned Hamas fighters remain concentrated in Gaza City, using civilians as shields. "For Israel, the lesson of Oct. 7 is not only eliminating the threats, but actually the source of the threats on its borders," Olidort said.
Netanyahu himself has drawn sharp comparisons to the 9/11 terror attacks in the United States.
"Giving the Palestinians a state one mile from Jerusalem after Oct. 7 is like giving al-Qaida a state one mile from New York City after Sept. 11. This is sheer madness. It's insane. And we won't do it," the Israeli leader said in remarks played during the program.
Shaffer cautioned that while Trump's diplomacy has strong backing from U.S. allies, any deal that leaves Hamas with influence risks failure.
"Benjamin Netanyahu is completely right," Shaffer said. "Can you imagine if Canada and the British demanded that we return, I don't know, Florida into a state of al-Qaida a month after 9/11? I just don't think it's viable."
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