Jerusalem, 19 February, 2026 (TPS-IL) — President Trump’s new international Board of Peace held its first meeting in Washington D.C. on Thursday. After the meeting, Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar spoke about how Hamas is the biggest obstacle to a lasting peace in Gaza.

Sa’ar said that, since Hamas “violently took over Gaza in 2007, it has built the largest terrorist state in the world – with a huge terrorist infrastructure above and below the ground.”

He also asserted that all previous plans for Gaza have failed because they never addressed what he called the core problems: terrorism, hatred, incitement, and brainwashing of the younger generations there.

At the heart of President Trump’s plan is the disarmament of Hamas and other terror groups, demilitarization, and deradicalization of Palestinian society.

“This is the first plan that addresses the root of the problems,” said Sa’ar adding that Israel supports the plan and will work for its success.

“Hamas must disarm,” demanded Sa’ar. “This includes all of its weapons. Its terror infrastructure, its network of underground tunnels and weapons manufacturing plants – all must be dismantled. As the plan emphasizes – there must also be a significant process of de-radicalization. The infrastructure that brainwashes Palestinian children to hate and kill Jews – in educational and religious institutions – must no longer exist.

“All of this is important not only for Israelis. Gazans have lived under a regime of terror for decades. The people of Gaza must be freed from these terrorists.”

Gil Tanenbaum

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