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KT McFarland to Newsmax: Israel Must Eliminate Hamas to End Hostage Crisis
Edited by: Fern Sidman
In an interview on Wednesday with Newsmax on National Report, former Deputy National Security Advisor KT McFarland emphasized that Israel must fully eliminate Hamas to prevent future cycles of violence and hostage-taking. Citing intelligence from both U.S. and Israeli sources, Newsmax reported that officials now believe only around 20 of the 251 hostages taken by Hamas on October 7, 2023, are still alive.
As McFarland told Newsmax, this revelation comes as a devastating blow. “It’s a gut punch. We thought there were going to be probably 100, including some Americans. If it really is only 20, these people have a lot to answer for,” she said during the broadcast. The grim assessment underscores the urgency for decisive action to both rescue the remaining hostages and eliminate Hamas as a threat entirely.
Newsmax highlighted former President Donald Trump’s recent press conference at Mar-a-Lago, where he issued a stern warning to Hamas and regional players in the Middle East. Trump vowed that “all hell will break out in the Middle East” if the hostages are not released by January 20, the date of his scheduled inauguration. According to the information provided on Newsmax, Trump made it clear that inaction would carry severe consequences: “And it will not be good for Hamas, and it will not be good, frankly, for anyone. We want to get back those hostages for Israel and for us.”
During her Newsmax interview on Wednesday, McFarland reiterated her belief that Trump would press Israel to finalize its military objectives against Hamas. “If there’s anything left of Hamas, obliterate it,” she said. “That will be the punishment. If it works to their political advantage or economic advantage or military advantage, bad actors are going to keep taking hostages. And we have the whole cycle repeating itself.”
According to the information contained in the Newsmax report, McFarland stressed that allowing Hamas to survive would embolden other extremist groups to adopt similar tactics, creating an endless loop of violence and negotiation failures. For her, the only effective deterrent is complete eradication of the threat.
As Newsmax noted, McFarland worked closely with Trump during his first administration and observed his commitment to protecting American lives and ensuring national security. She reminded viewers that Trump was always fiercely protective of American citizens and vulnerable populations in volatile regions.
Newsmax also reported McFarland’s assertion that Israel’s success in dismantling Hamas is not only a military priority but also a geopolitical necessity. With hostages’ lives hanging in the balance and regional tensions at a boiling point, she argued that there can be no half-measures. For McFarland, as quoted on Newsmax, Israel’s ability to fully eliminate Hamas could set a critical precedent in the fight against terrorism and hostage diplomacy.
