Socialist New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani is facing backlash after refusing to say Hamas should disarm under President Donald Trump’s ceasefire deal. The Zohran Mamdani Hamas controversy erupted during an interview with Fox News host Martha MacCallum, where Mamdani repeatedly avoided condemning the terrorist group despite its continued violence in Gaza.
When asked twice whether Hamas “should lay down their weapons,” Mamdani responded, “I don’t really have opinions about the future of Hamas and Israel beyond the question of justice and safety, and the fact that anything has to abide by international law. And that applies to Hamas, that applies to the Israeli military.” MacCallum noted that “Hamas is killing Palestinians inside Gaza” as part of internal retribution campaigns.
Mamdani’s refusal to take a position came even as Hamas violated the Trump-brokered ceasefire agreement by refusing to release the bodies of deceased hostages. The terror group also carried out executions of Palestinians accused of collaborating with Israel. Despite this, Mamdani accused Israel of waging a “genocidal war” in Gaza and said, “Peace must be achieved through diplomacy, not war crimes.”
President Trump, who negotiated the ceasefire, warned Hamas to comply fully. “Hamas will disarm, or we will disarm them,” he said Tuesday. Mamdani, running against former governor Andrew Cuomo, has also faced criticism for refusing to condemn the slogan “globalize the intifada,” a known call for terrorism against Jews.
