Hamas' atrocities against the people of Israel showed it was "the face of evil," and now Israel has a job to do in wiping out the terrorists, despite the calls from humanitarian organizations for a cease-fire, Rep. Jeff Van Drew told Newsmax on Sunday.
"Where were the humanitarian organizations when babies had their heads cut off, when they were set on fire, when women were beaten, raped, displayed, and then murdered?" the New Jersey Republican said on Newsmax's "Sunday Report."
Hamas, he added, "needs to be wiped out."
"Not only have they done these horrible things to Israelis, but their own people," Van Drew said. "There is no reason that we should tie the Israelis' hands behind their backs and not allow them to move forward," the congressman said.
But such things happen "because of weakness," he continued.
"This administration was weak in the way they dealt with Iran and unfroze the $6 billion in a prisoner swap, which was crazy," said Van Drew. "Now supposedly, we've refrozen it."
Still, the administration removed the sanctions on Iran that were enacted while former President Donald Trump was in office, so Iran was "able to move forward and make huge amounts of money, billions upon billions of dollars," he said.
The money was used to "export terrorism around the world, to Hamas as well and the Middle East and enrich their uranium," said Van Drew.
Under President Joe Biden, though, world situations are growing, he added, including with Afghanistan and Ukraine, because "it's weakness that breeds war."
Van Drew also spoke out about the news that Vice President Kamala Harris' stepdaughter, Ella Emhoff, has been promoting a fundraising drive that supports "urgent relief for Gaza's children" to the more than 300 people who follow her on social media.
The drive has raised nearly $8 million to date, and Van Drew said Sunday that the money "goes to Hamas, and that's the shame of it."
"They set up these pathways to get money to Hamas," he said. "I was disgusted and profoundly disturbed."
Harris, Van Drew added, "is embracing this as well, whether she wants to admit it or not."
But the organization is "not for the relief of children," he said. "It's to fund Hamas and to fund their activities in Gaza. It's wrong, and I wish that Kamala would step up, step out, and say what her stepdaughter did was wrong. But she won't, I guarantee it."
Further, Biden is calling for a cease-fire, and that would just allow Hamas to reorganize so it can better attack Israel, said Van Drew.
"[Benjamin] Netanyahu said it, there is a time for peace, and there's a time for war," he said. "The Israelis didn't want this war, but this group of Hamas and the other terrorists, including Hezbollah, believe in death to the United States and to Israel."
About NEWSMAX TV:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America!
- Find Newsmax channel in your home via cable and satellite systems – More Info Here
- Watch Newsmax+ on your home TV app or smartphone and watch it anywhere! Try it for FREE -- See More Here: NewsmaxPlus.com
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.