Danon issues uncompromising warnings on Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria while advancing Trump-backed regional peace expansions.
In an exclusive interview with Arutz Sheva – Israel National News, Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon delivered a series of direct, uncompromising messages following an intensive day of strategic border tours with newly appointed U.S. Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz. The visit, Danon emphasized, was pivotal for giving the incoming Trump administration a clear understanding of the real, immediate, and unrelenting threats Israel faces from Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iranian-backed militias entrenched across Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria.
After visiting the Gaza border and meeting the family of fallen soldier Ran Gvili, whose body remains in Hamas captivity, Danon was unequivocal:
“Hamas will not stay here. Period.”
He stressed that while humanitarian discussions inevitably arise, no reconstruction or political process can proceed until Hamas is fully removed from power:
“The next stage only begins after every hostage is home. President Trump’s plan says it clearly, and we will insist on it.”
A helicopter inspection of the Golan Heights exposed the deceptive quiet along the Syrian border. In real time, the ambassadors observed an Israeli attempt to apprehend a terrorist in Quneitra—an illustrative reminder of how quickly the region can ignite. Danon warned that Israel refuses to repeat the mistake made in Lebanon, where Hezbollah was allowed to metastasize:
“We will not allow militias to build bunkers, tunnels, and bases on the Golan. Period.”
Turning to Lebanon, Danon warned that Hezbollah is already attempting to rearm under the cover of a ceasefire.
“Declarations are meaningless. If the Lebanese government doesn’t act, Israel will. And Washington understands this.”
Danon dismissed European diplomatic theatrics—especially Spain, Norway, Ireland, and Slovenia—for pushing Palestinian statehood initiatives he described as empty political performances and blatant anti-Israel propaganda. He thanked the U.S. for blocking hostile moves at the UN, underscoring that such efforts only strengthen extremist Palestinian factions who have no interest in peace.
Despite war, Danon reported remarkably warming ties with Muslim and Arab League states. He expressed strong optimism that President Trump’s new term will enable a dramatic expansion of the Abraham Accords, predicting normalization advances far sooner than most expect.
Arab leaders, he said, now openly acknowledge what Israel has long known:
There is no viable Palestinian partner.
Between Hamas’ tyrannical rule in Gaza and the Palestinian Authority’s corruption and impotence, the region’s pragmatic actors are moving toward Israel—not away from it.
Danon praised Ambassador Waltz—former U.S. Army Green Beret commander—as a steadfast friend of the Jewish state. Waltz’s extensive combat experience, Danon noted, gives him a deep appreciation for Israel’s security realities:
“He understands what it means to fight for freedom. Our nation fought together—400,000 reservists showed up. He gets it.”
The tour concluded at the U.S.-funded humanitarian pier in Gaza, where Danon reiterated that Hamas disarmament is the immovable prerequisite for any reconstruction. Until terror is defeated, he said, the world must avoid repeating the destructive cycles that allowed Hamas and Hezbollah to rebuild under false pretenses of humanitarian concern.
