Huckabee says Gaza truce ‘already working,’ Hamas disarmament still key issue

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee says the Gaza ceasefire is already showing results, but warns that the disarmament of Hamas remains a key unresolved issue, in an interview with PBS news.

“It’s already working, in the sense that, for the past four months, we haven’t had to rush down to the shelter and dodge a ballistic missile,” Huckabee says.

Looking ahead to the next phase of the ceasefire agreement, Huckabee says, “it’s going to be a methodical process, but it is underway,” noting that “the one big piece that still has to happen is the disarmament of Hamas, but I think that’s on the way as well.”

Addressing the pace of medical evacuations from Gaza upon the recent reopening of the Rafah Crossing, Huckabee says the process requires strict screening, saying people “have to be properly vetted so that you don’t bring terrorists in or take terrorists out,” while arguing that Gazans have been “vastly displaced” because “Hamas extended this war long before it should have been extended.”

Huckabee also defends the newly formed Board of Peace, which critics claim effectively sidelines existing international organizations like the UN, saying it is meant to be “a different kind of board” made up of “people who want to actually do some heavy lifting and [make] Gaza livable again,” while criticizing past international aid efforts as ineffective.

On Iran, Huckabee says he hopes diplomacy will succeed but expresses skepticism, saying Tehran “is a real problem. And it’s not just a Middle East problem. It’s a problem globally.” He adds that Iran would have to accept conditions, including no uranium enrichment or nuclear weapons, as well as address its ballistic missile program.

Huckabee also warns that US President Donald Trump is prepared to act militarily if necessary, saying, “One thing I’m confident about this president, he makes a promise, and he keeps it.”