The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) can ultimately dismantle Hamas and rescue hostages the terror organization took in its Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, but the challenge lies in the costs and time required, Heritage Foundation analyst Brent Sadler, a former Pentagon official, told Newsmax on Sunday.
“The odds are long, unfortunately. But it’s not a question of capability or capacity,” Sadler said on Newsmax’s “Wake Up America Weekend.” “The IDF does have the capability to get into every part of Gaza, and to eventually track down every last member of Hamas. But it’s at what cost and over what time frame?”
Sadler stressed that maintaining political support is crucial as the conflict continues. He noted U.S. backing remains firm, but international pressure is complicating Israel’s efforts.
“Right now, the U.S. is rock solid and doesn’t appear to be changing, but others in the world are certainly not making it easy to put pressure on Hamas, where rightfully the pressure deserves to be to get these hostages released sooner and hopefully before a more comprehensive assault is required by the IDF,” he said.
The discussion comes as President Donald Trump confirmed what he described as “deep negotiations” with Hamas for the release of Israeli hostages, even as Israeli forces say they now control 40% of Gaza City.
When asked about Israel’s creation of a humanitarian space in Khan Younis, a city in the southern Gaza Strip, for refugees, Sadler pushed back against United Nations criticism of Israeli actions.
“Far too many in the West and the media rely on the propaganda numbers that are provided by Hamas, from the casualty figures from Gaza and other information,” he said. “It’s not a surprise that you see this type of reaction characterizing what Israel is trying to do, control the flow of aid so that they know it’s getting to the Palestinians in need and not being misdirected by Hamas for Hamas’ political control and even aggrandizement by selling it on the black market.”
He said ensuring aid goes through Israel is essential to preventing Hamas from exploiting humanitarian relief for its own survival.
“Certainly the U.N. has a role, but it’s not going to be the one delivering the aid. It’s going to have to go through Israel to ensure that you don’t have a repeat of the type of power structure that the Hamas organization has used to suppress and batter their own people, the Palestinians in Gaza.”
Sadler concluded that despite humanitarian concerns, the IDF’s mission remains clear: dismantling Hamas while ensuring aid reaches civilians without strengthening the group’s grip on Gaza.
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