The U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, stated on Friday that he believes the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip between Hamas and Israel is unlikely to collapse. He also strongly condemned the violence perpetrated by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank, labeling it as “terrorism.”
In an interview with the Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahronot, Ambassador Huckabee said, “I don’t see any possibility of the ceasefire collapsing. On the contrary, I think its endurance for more than two months is remarkable.”
Addressing Hamas’s adherence to the agreement, he added, “All but one of the hostages [Israeli prisoners from Gaza] have been returned, and work is underway to establish a framework for stabilizing Gaza.” The Ambassador characterized this as “a truly monumental task,” adding, “I think most people should be amazed at how successful it has been.”
“We all desperately want to ensure the last hostage returns home, but there is also constant progress, even though Hamas is facing difficulties in recovering the last hostage’s body,” Huckabee stated.
Earlier this month, Haaretz reported that the U.S. administration was surprised by Hamas’s commitment to the agreement, while the Israeli army acknowledged what it termed a “lack of increase in Palestinian violations.”
While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been hesitant to move to the second phase of the Gaza agreement, the U.S. administration is pushing for progress. This issue is expected to be a key topic of discussion during Netanyahu’s upcoming meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House later this month.
The ceasefire agreement went into effect on October 10th of last year, intended to end the devastating conflict that began on October 7th, 2023, which resulted in over 70,000 Palestinian deaths and more than 171,000 injuries. However, Israel has repeatedly violated the agreement, causing further Palestinian casualties.
When questioned about the increasing violence of Israeli settlers, Huckabee did not hesitate to express his opinion, stating unequivocally that it constitutes terrorism.
