From the Liveblog of
Monday, February 16, 2026
Gantz says only Israel will be able to disarm Hamas
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Israel will only be able to guarantee Hamas’s disarmament through Israeli military efforts, Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz tells Jewish leaders at a gathering of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.
“In Gaza, Hamas is reorganizing and rebuilding. The world must understand: Hamas and Gaza must not only be completely demilitarized for the sake of Israeli security, but for the sake of any positive regional process. They will seek to intercept any future normalization efforts, just like they did on October 7,” says the former defense minister and IDF chief.
US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace “is indeed important for shaping the day-after, but within the Yellow Line, Hamas has strengthened its terror regime for months. Ladies and gentlemen, make no mistake, in the end, it will only be our brave sons and daughters who will finish the job,” he adds.
Regarding Iran, Gantz insists that “in the coming days, or at most, in the coming weeks, the world must stand united in toppling the Iranian ayatollahs’ regime.”
If it does not, the Iranians “will continue to murder others and their own people” and “we will be pushing away regional peace, and a better future for our children, that we all strive for,” he continues, stating that “now is the time for decisive action.”
“Eighty years ago, the United States freed Europe from the Nazi regime. Today, President Trump has the opportunity to free the Middle East from the terror of the ayatollahs’ regime and be remembered forever for it,” Gantz declares.
The Times of Israel Community.