Netanyahu is Right to Tie Rebuilding of Gaza to Disarming of Hamas,  Says ASFI

Peloni:  This is so true.

ASFI | Jan 28, 2026

Netanyahu speaks before UN General Assembly. Image via Youtube

NEW YORK – A leading pro-Israel organization has come out strongly in support of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s stand against allowing any reconstruction efforts in Gaza until the “disarming of Hamas and demilitarization of Gaza’s weapons and tunnels” is completed.

Israeli officials have long been justifiably concerned about the danger of dual-use items such as cement. On the one hand, cement can be used for innocent purposes such as home construction when it is in the hands of a peace-seeking, trustworthy authority. But in the hands of untrustworthy elements—such as the Hamas terrorist regime that has ruled Gaza for two decades—cement has also been used for other purposes, including the construction of terrorist tunnels, Americans for a Safe Israel (AFSI) has stated. This is why no rebuilding can take place as long as Hamas remains.

AFSI’s remarks are in response to Netanyahu’s comments: “I’m hearing even now claims that Gaza’s reconstruction will be allowed before demilitarization—this will not happen.”

“Concrete for the foundation of a building can also be used to make tunnels, as Hamas has demonstrated again and again. Israel is the only country in the world whose next-door neighbors have built dozens of tunnels into its territory to perpetrate massacres of civilians,” stated Moshe Phillips, chairman of Americans for a Safe Israel. “Israel fought previous wars against Hamas and Islamic Jihad before October 7, but that terrorist invasion of Israel only happened because the international community put cement into Hamas’s hands, enabling it to build its sophisticated terror tunnel network. These facts alone should rule out rebuilding Gaza until Hamas is completely out of the picture.”

About Americans For A Safe Israel:

Established in 1970, Americans For A Safe Israel (AFSI) is one of the oldest and most influential pro-Israel organizations in the United States. Its advocacy and educational campaigns serve as a potent counterweight to the rising tide of anti-Israel propaganda. AFSI is not affiliated with any political party in the United States or Israel. AFSI’s website is www.afsi.org.