Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, has put the region on notice: Qatar and Turkey must use their leverage to force Hamas to surrender its weapons and accept the terms of the ceasefire. Leiter made the blunt case in recent interviews, saying the diplomatic moment created by strong U.S. pressure and battlefield realities must be seized so the long nightmare of hostage-taking and terror can finally end.
What Ambassador Leiter describes isn’t some pie-in-the-sky wish — it is the operational requirement at the heart of President Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan: disarm Hamas or be disarmed, and move toward a technocratic interim authority to stabilize Gaza. The president has made clear that if Hamas refuses, the international community and the United States will not stand idly by while jihadis keep launching attacks from a terror fortress on Israel’s border.
This is exactly the sort of tough-minded diplomacy conservatives have argued for all along: put feet to the fire, call out regimes that harbor terrorists, and stop pretending that moral equivalence or endless negotiations will deliver safety. Leiter’s message — that Qatar and Turkey have influence over Hamas and must bring that influence to bear now — is a welcome break from the appeasement we saw for years from weak-kneed Western elites.
Let’s be honest about the facts on the ground: Doha and Ankara have long been havens and back channels for Hamas political operatives, which is why they can exert pressure if they choose to do so. The idea that these governments are neutral mediators is a fantasy; their leverage must be used to force an end to terror, not to shield it. If those states value their standing with the West, they will act — and they will do it fast.
If the international guarantors won’t pull their weight, the United States and Israel must be prepared to finish the job. Hamas has shown it prefers power over peace, and every honest assessment shows it will cling to its arms unless stripped of its ability to wage war. Patriotic Americans should back policies that press meanly on terror networks until they are dismantled, not policies that paper over the threat for the sake of diplomatic theater.
That means consequences for countries that shelter terrorists — not token condemnations and finger-wagging from Washington but clear diplomatic, economic, and intelligence steps that make harboring Hamas a costly proposition. The days of indulging sponsors of terror are over if we are serious about defending our allies and protecting American interests abroad. Leaders who refuse to lean on Hamas must feel the weight of international accountability.
Americans who love freedom and respect our allies should applaud diplomats who tell the truth and demand action, not excuses. Ambassador Leiter’s warning is a clarion call: disarm Hamas, or the region will not settle for a half-measure peace. If Washington and Jerusalem stay resolute and make the guarantors choose sides, there is a real chance to end a brutal chapter and build lasting security for Israelis and the Palestinians who want to live in peace.
