Former national security adviser John Hannah told viewers on Fox Report that “the signs aren’t good” as Israeli forces pull back from specified positions in Gaza, warning that the tactical withdrawal risks leaving a vacuum ripe for Hamas to exploit. His blunt assessment should sober every American who believes peace can be bought with naïve concessions and hollow assurances. We ignore sober voices like Hannah’s at our peril.
Israeli and Hamas negotiators moved forward with a fragile ceasefire this week that included a phased Israeli withdrawal and a hostage-prisoner exchange, a deal that has prompted cautious optimism but little confidence that the underlying threat has been solved. The reality is messy: partial troop withdrawals and humanitarian corridors are being implemented while key issues—Hamas disarmament and who will govern Gaza—remain unresolved. Celebrations in the streets do not erase the hard work still required to secure Israel and American interests.
Even as aid moves back into Gaza and families begin to return, credible reporting shows Hamas units and their networks moving to reassert authority in areas the IDF has vacated, underscoring Hannah’s warning about a re-emergence of militant control. Journalists and analysts on the ground are already describing efforts by Hamas to restore police and governing functions, a development that should alarm proponents of any policy that treats surrender of territory as an end unto itself. This is exactly the kind of hollow victory that breeds new rounds of terror.
Washington and our allies must learn a clear lesson: ceasefires without disarmament are cosmetic. It is reckless to applaud the appearance of calm while allowing the same actors who butchered innocents to regroup and rebuild their command-and-control systems. Patriots must demand durable solutions—real demilitarization, robust intelligence cooperation, and enduring pressure on sponsors like Iran—not paper promises from international bodies with long records of failure.
If we are serious about preventing Hamas from returning to power, the United States must keep boots, surveillance, and strike options on the table while backing Israeli efforts to ensure weapons and tunnels are permanently dismantled. The deployment of U.S. personnel to help oversee ceasefire mechanics is a narrow step in the right direction, but it must be matched by ironclad conditions: verified disarmament, extradition of terror leaders, and accountability for any aid diverted to militant use. America cannot outsource its security to wishful thinking.
Too many in Washington want to move on to the next headline — to posture about diplomacy while forgetting that Islamist militancy does not negotiate in good faith. Hard power, intelligence, and relentless scrutiny of who benefits from reconstruction dollars are not optional; they are the only things that will protect our friends and prevent another generation of slaughter. If policymakers lack the stomach for decisive action, they will have to answer to the families of those taken hostage and to the next wave of American casualties.
Patriots should stand with Israel, demand that our leaders stop treating terrorism like a bargaining chip, and insist the full weight of American power be used to ensure that any ceasefire is the beginning of Hamas’s end, not its rebirth. We owe nothing less to the victims, the hostages, and to every American who expects their government to keep threats off our soil. The choice is clear: vigilance and strength, or complacency and renewed violence.
