It is "absolutely appropriate" for President Donald Trump to call for an end to a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas and to threaten that "all hell is going to break out" if all remaining hostages aren't released from Gaza by noon Saturday, former CIA official Marty Martin tells Newsmax.
"All bets are off," Martin said Tuesday on "Ed Henry: The Briefing" on Newsmax on Tuesday. "You know what? That's what Hamas understands, [not this] dilly-dathering around, trying to negotiate and have intermediaries. No one's accountable, so he's making them accountable."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has backed Trump's call on the hostages, saying that fighting will resume against Hamas if it doesn't release the hostages by Saturday.
Martin told Henry that former President Joe Biden was "trying to hold" Netanyahu back, but with Trump, the Israel Defense Forces will "probably go in heavy."
The remaining Hamas fighters in Gaza are "pretty much the remnants" of the terrorist group, he added.
"Their core cadre is probably still intact but they can be demolished," Martin said. "Hamas has no place left in Gaza, period. I think if they don't release these hostages in one fell swoop, I believe that the IDF will go in and with the full support of the United States of America."
Meanwhile, Martin said he also thinks Trump will give the green light to Netanyahu to go after Iran's nuclear program, which Biden had rejected.
"I think their day is coming," Martin said. "I think it's coming under this president … I believe that Israel, with its capabilities and our capabilities, at the appropriate time, if it looks like there's still a continuing effort to develop that sort of weaponry, then I believe kinetic action will take place."
Martin also on Tuesday told Newsmax that he agrees with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's comments that the door is open for military action to be used across the southern border against Mexican drug cartels.
"I believe it's appropriate to use military assets," he said. "They're bringing in fentanyl, killing young American men and women. They make millions and billions of dollars. It's time for accountability.
Martin, though, said the strikes would be "very targeted" as "you don't want to invade Mexico."
"I think Mexico would breathe a sigh of relief as well if a couple of these known leaders of the cartels suddenly went 'poof,'" he added.
Martin also discussed the Trump administration's overhaul of USAID and denied media reports that the cuts would lead to famine in Sudan.
"Millions of Sudanese are displaced," he said, adding that two days before Biden left office, he sanctioned Sudan's government under Gov. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.
"The other disparate groups, the RSF were already sanctioned for all the atrocities and using sex as violence and raping women and kids," said Martin. "Why did Biden do that two days before? Obviously one of his geniuses just wanted to make it difficult for President Trump to fix the problem."
He also rejected claims that have been made alleging that USAID was a front for the CIA.
"I hear this and I start laughing," said Martin. "We could not be worlds further apart in spirit and our actions, everything we do. There is no way in heck, and I'll be nice because we're on Newsmax, that the CIA has cooperated with USAID. We actually have rules against working with [them]."
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