John Bolton on Gaza

John Bolton has expressed strong skepticism regarding the viability of any immediate peace process for Gaza, particularly one that involves Hamas. He suggested that a proposed peace plan, which included a two-month ceasefire and hostage release, was already in trouble because the next critical step—Hamas demilitarization and weapon surrender—showed no signs of materializing, drawing parallels to past failed agreements like those in Northern Ireland. He views the broader conflict as intractable until the core issue, the threat posed by the Ayatollahs in Iran, is resolved, tying Gaza's stability to the broader regional security strategy against Iran.

He further argued that the long-standing refugee issue within Gaza must be addressed through resettlement, calling it the most humanitarian path forward for its displaced population, as the territory itself is largely a "heap of rubble." Bolton asserted that the concept of a two-state solution was never viable, and resolving the Gaza problem via resettlement would eliminate the political argument for it in the West Bank, while also advocating for the elimination of UNRWA. The former national security advisor maintained that until the main Iranian threat is dealt with, the threat to peace in the region will persist.