By: Fern Sidman

In a high-stakes moment for Middle East diplomacy, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee offered a cautiously optimistic assessment of the ongoing negotiations for a 60-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, asserting that “we hope we’re very close” to a breakthrough, while casting doubt on Hamas’s reliability as a negotiating partner. Speaking in an exclusive interview with i24News, Huckabee underscored the unshakable U.S.-Israel alliance, the imperative to eradicate Hamas, and the broader strategic stakes for the region, particularly regarding Iran and the Abraham Accords.

Israel National News (INN) reported on Huckabee’s remarks, noting that while the ambassador’s tone was diplomatic, his message was unmistakably resolute: the United States will not tolerate a Gaza governed by Hamas, and a successful ceasefire must not come at the cost of Israeli security or regional stability.

Ambassador Huckabee’s skepticism toward Hamas was evident throughout the interview. “Hamas is always the one that gums it up just when we think we’re on the brink of getting all of the hostages back,” he said, referencing the group’s history of withdrawing from agreements at critical junctures. The ambassador’s remarks echo mounting frustrations within both Israeli and American security circles, as reported by INN, that the terror organization continues to exploit ceasefire talks for tactical reprieve, only to rearm and relaunch hostilities.

While Huckabee emphasized that “anything that gets all the hostages returned is a positive step,” he also reaffirmed President Donald Trump’s long-standing stance: Hamas cannot be part of Gaza’s future. Drawing a provocative historical analogy, he compared any effort to preserve Hamas’s political relevance to suggesting that “the Nazis could have had a future role in Germany post-World War II.” The October 7 massacre, in which Hamas terrorists killed over 1,200 Israelis and abducted more than 200 others, remains, as Huckabee stated, a moral and strategic inflection point.

Pressed on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision-making amid Israel’s prolonged campaign in Gaza, Huckabee offered broad but supportive commentary, careful not to wade into domestic Israeli politics. Still, he made clear that “no Israeli wants the war to continue” and emphasized that the real challenge is not in ending the war, but in ending it right — with Hamas eliminated as a threat.

According to the information provided in the INN report, Huckabee’s message reflects the strategic consensus within both the Israeli War Cabinet and the Trump administration: that a premature ceasefire absent guarantees of Hamas’s removal would not constitute a real peace, but a pause before further bloodshed.

Huckabee took time to stress the “extraordinary cooperation” between President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu, rejecting the notion that U.S. policy is being dictated unilaterally from Washington. “The level of cooperation… is extraordinary,” Huckabee noted, adding that decisions regarding Gaza and Iran are being made through “mutual consultation and strategic alignment.”

The INN report highlighted this as a clear signal to both regional allies and adversaries that the U.S.-Israel security partnership remains unshaken, particularly at a time when diplomatic narratives about a “fracture” in the relationship have emerged in certain international forums.

Turning to Iran, Huckabee reiterated the Trump administration’s uncompromising position: Iran must never acquire nuclear weapons. He emphasized that recent joint U.S.-Israeli military actions — including Operation Rising Lion, which targeted key Iranian ballistic and nuclear infrastructure — were a message to Tehran and the world that the West remains united in its red lines.

According to the information contained in the INN report, Huckabee noted that this hardline stance is not isolated to the United States and Israel. “Even European governments are now more aligned with us in recognizing that Iran’s nuclear ambitions are not just a regional concern but a global one,” he stated.

In closing, Huckabee turned to a subject that represents both legacy and future: the Abraham Accords. Describing them as “the single most transformative diplomatic initiative in the Middle East in decades,” he signaled confidence that more countries could soon join the historic normalization agreements.

“There’s potential for expansion on the horizon,” Huckabee affirmed. “These are not symbolic agreements. They are reshaping regional alliances, increasing economic cooperation, and creating a new axis of moderation in the Middle East.”

As the INN report emphasized, the ambassador’s remarks reflect the administration’s broader strategy: to leverage U.S. influence and regional trust to isolate Hamas and Iran, and to foster enduring partnerships between Israel and moderate Arab states.

Ambassador Mike Huckabee’s statements during his i24News interview offer a window into the United States’ principled yet pragmatic vision for the future of Gaza and the broader Middle East. His words, as reported by INN, reflect both the urgency of the current moment and the long-term strategic calculus at play.

With negotiations at a critical juncture, and a fragile ceasefire framework hanging in the balance, Huckabee’s message was unmistakable: Israel’s right to security is non-negotiable, and the U.S.-Israel alliance will remain the cornerstone of regional stability in an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape.