Hamas "must be held accountable for what they did," says Ambassador Ido Aharoni, a former Israel consul general in New York and also a global distinguished professor of business at Touro University, adding he hopes the Trump administration "will work hand in hand with Israel to make sure that happens."
"Some people will certainly see the truth and some people won't. You know, hopefully more people will understand what we're dealing with here. It's a deadly organization," Aharoni told Newsmax's "Saturday Report" hours after Hamas-led militants released three gaunt, frail-looking Israeli hostages.
"The notion that because of the fact that the Palestinians are the underdog, they're always right and they're never accountable — here you have the proof in front of you.
"They must be held accountable for what they did. And hopefully the United States administration, the new Trump administration, will work hand in hand with Israel to make sure that that happens," he said.
To hold Hamas accountable, "you need to remove the leverage that" it has, said Aharoni.
"Hamas has only one leverage, and that's the hostages. Given the high sensitivity among Israelis, which is a good thing to lives of soldiers and civilians, the Israeli government had to remove the hostages off the table — meaning resolve the hostage crisis first, then you're free to do whatever you need militarily because Hamas doesn't have the leverage.
"This is a generational effort. This is not a war that will end a month or two from now," he said.
"The whole argument that if we release the hostages, it would endanger more Israeli lives, that's baloney. You need to release the hostages to free Israel, to continue the military effort, as long as it takes to cripple Hamas' military capacity."
About NEWSMAX TV:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America!
- Find Newsmax channel in your home via cable and satellite systems – More Info Here
- Watch Newsmax+ on your home TV app or smartphone and watch it anywhere! Try it for FREE – See More Here: NewsmaxPlus.com
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.