Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel called for disarming the terrorist organization Hamas yesterday. He made those remarks in a phone call to his Israeli counterpart, Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon.

The Defense Department website provided an account of the call, relayed by Pentagon press secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby:

Kirby said Hagel also reiterated U.S. support for Israel’s security and its right to self defense and said that any process to resolve the crisis in Gaza in a lasting and meaningful way must lead to the disarmament of Hamas and all terrorist groups.

Kirby said Minister Yaalon thanked Hagel for his support for the defense of Israel, in particular the Iron Dome anti-missile system.

Hagel’s call for disarming Hamas echoes the view expressed by Deputy National Security Adviser Anthony Blinken last week. The European Union’s foreign ministers last week also demanded that Hamas disarm as a precondition for any ceasefire. A recent Washington Post editorial also listed “the disarmament of Hamas” as a prerequisite for peace.

[Photo: Secretary of Defense / WikiCommons ]