Mark Kimmitt to Newsmax: Demand Hamas' Disarmament

Despite progress in the Trump administration’s peace deal, any weapon remaining in Hamas’ hands threatens Israel’s security and could derail lasting peace in the region, retired U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt said on Newsmax on Sunday.

"We have reason to be concerned," Kimmitt said on "Wake Up America Weekend."

He agreed with Middle East reporter Benjamin Weinthal, also on Sunday's program, on the fragile nature of the deal.

"The senior officials did say they were going to hang on to their weapons until the formation of a Palestinian state, where then they would become the defense forces for that Palestinian state," he added. "That’s a very, very troubling comment."

Kimmitt warned that while Hamas may surrender some heavy weaponry, the group is unlikely to give up all arms.

"Friends of mine in Israel are saying, well, there are weapons and then there are weapons. Hamas will turn in a lot of their large anti-tank weapons and their missiles, perhaps, but will hang on to their AK-47s," he said.

"Any weapon still in the hand of Hamas is a weapon that can be killing people, and the world should be pulling for full and complete disarmament, even though that’s probably not going to happen," Kimmitt noted.

Weinthal, reporting from Jerusalem, agreed that the peace process depends on whether Hamas truly disarms.

"I think that the first phase of Trump’s 20-point peace plan will hold," he said. "That is the release of 20 Israeli hostages as well as the release of 250 Palestinian terrorists and criminals. The question, though, is, Will Hamas disarm? That’s the litmus test."

Weinthal added that he doubts Hamas will follow through.

"Just yesterday, I read multiple reports from different Hamas representatives who said they will not disarm," he said.

The next stage of the plan will be even more difficult, Kimmitt pointed out.

"We know what phase two is supposed to look like: humanitarian aid coming in, eventually a security force coming into Gaza to maintain order in the absence of the Israelis," he said.

"But what is the future of Hamas?" Kimmitt continued. "Will they remain around for the formation of a Palestinian state, or will they disarm and disband?"

Weinthal noted that regional cooperation will be crucial.

"Arab countries like Egypt need to pressure Hamas to disarm their rifles as well as other weapons," he said. "At the end of the day, the IDF might very well need to go back into the sections of the Gaza Strip that they do not currently control to disarm Hamas."

He added that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas faces his own internal challenges.

"His government is very fractured and feeble," Weinthal said. "The Trump plan has urged the Palestinian Authority to reform itself before it can assume governance in Gaza or the West Bank."

Kimmitt said complete disarmament remains unlikely but essential to prevent future conflict.

"Any weapon still in the hand of Hamas is a weapon that can kill people," he said, emphasizing that full disarmament should be the world’s priority if peace is to last.

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