Hamas cannot be negotiated with and must be destroyed, Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., told Newsmax on Tuesday.
On "The Record With Greta Van Susteren," Fetterman described footage and accounts from the Oct. 7, 2023, attack and its aftermath as evidence that negotiation with Hamas is impossible.
"They filmed that. And that kind of evil and that kind of cruelty — the things they've done, children they've raped, women, executed civilians like that — you really just have to burn that kind of evil off the face of the Earth," he said.
"It's like, who does those kind of things, let alone films those?"
Fetterman said some anti-Israel protesters do not actually understand whom they are defending when they advocate for Hamas.
"One thing that you're not going to see is a lot of these protesters that have been doing that for the last two years, they're not protesting to demand Hamas to accept that peace deal," he said, urging skeptics to view recorded evidence.
"That should be mandatory to watch that."
The senator said the only viable policy is to eliminate Hamas' leadership, a goal the Israel Defense Forces has pursued in Gaza over the past two years.
"So you can't negotiate with it, and that's why it's entirely appropriate to destroy Hamas and kill all of the leadership that were responsible for it, as [Israel's] done," Fetterman said, adding that the U.S. must continue to support Israel.
"I'll never understand how we all can't just be very clear: We're going to stand firmly with Israel's side."
Fetterman endorsed Republican President Donald Trump's peace plan as the "first opportunity for real peace."
He said it offered a chance to "send all those poor souls home after being held underground for two years" and that partisan labels would not stop him from supporting it.
The Pennsylvania Democrat also expressed disbelief at how the remaining hostages have survived the harsh conditions imposed by Hamas since being taken captive in the Oct. 7 attack.
"They have been underground now for two years — tortured, beaten, and even forced to dig their own graves. A lot of the media has normalized this kind of thing," he said.
"All of the trauma in Gaza could have ended at any time for Hamas to surrender, send all of them home, and there would be an opportunity for real peace.
"But they refuse to do that because it is nothing more than a death cult ... That's why you have to destroy it," Fetterman said.
GET TODAY NEWSMAX+:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America with more than 30 million people watching!
Reuters Institute reports NEWSMAX is one of the top news brands in the U.S.
You need to watch NEWSMAX today.
Get it with great shows from Rob Schmitt, Greta Van Susteren, Greg Kelly, Carl Higbie, Rob Finnerty – and many more!
Find the NEWSMAX channel on your cable system – Go Here Now
BEST OFFER:
Sign up for NEWSMAX+ and get NEWSMAX, our streaming channel NEWSMAX2 and our military channel World at War.
Find hundreds of shows, movies and specials.
Even get Jon Voight's special series and President Trump's comedy programs and much more!
Watch NEWSMAX+ on your smartphone or home TV app.
Watch NEWSMAX anytime, anywhere!
Start your FREE trial now: NewsmaxPlus.com