Israel should not expect Hamas to voluntarily release the hostages it is holding, so it must defeat the militant group before meaningful negotiations can take place concerning Gaza, former U.S. Ambassador to NATO Kurt Volker told Newsmax on Sunday.
"We have to recognize that Hamas is never going to give up these hostages," Volker said on Newsmax's "Sunday Report." "They view this as their only bargaining chip. So as long as we allow that to deter us or to deter Israel, then this war will go on."
His comments came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this weekend addressed the possibility of taking over Gaza to root out Hamas, while families of hostages continue to plead for their loved ones' release.
"I think President Netanyahu is right that you have to obviously do everything possible to get them out, but Hamas is never going to let them go. So you actually have to end the Hamas problem," said Volker.
He further stressed that allowing the hostage situation to dictate military strategy would prolong the conflict and prevent resolution on the battlefield.
Volker also addressed the upcoming summit in Alaska between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling the meeting a "big coup" for Putin.
"This is a big coup for Vladimir Putin, and he has done nothing to earn this," said Volker. "He has not agreed to President Trump's calls for a ceasefire. He has increased his attacks on Ukraine. And President Trump, after having set these deadlines, did not pull the trigger and execute on the tariffs and sanctions that he promised. So Vladimir Putin has gotten a great deal here already."
Despite this, Volker said he supports Trump's efforts to end the war.
However, he added that Putin "has made clear he has no intention of doing that, and that's why more pressure has to be applied to him."
He also rejected claims by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., that Trump will "walk away" from the summit if Putin insists on reaching a "bad deal."
"No, I don't see President Trump walking away at all," Volker said. "I think he has invested so much into this. He has made this such a high priority to stop the killing in Ukraine. I think he really believes in that. So I think walking away would both be seen as a failure, and he would even see it as a disappointment. So he's going to stick with this until he gets it done, I think."
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Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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