Gideon Saar / Photo: Joav Dudkiewicz
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has said that Israel is ready to consider negotiations on extending the truce with the Hamas terrorist group in the Gaza Strip, but stressed that the window for such a dialogue is closing fast. This was reported by the news portal The Times of Israel.
“As long as IDF operations in Gaza remain limited, we are still giving a chance to dialogue aimed at extending the ceasefire and releasing the hostages. But we will not wait forever,” Saar stressed during today’s meetings at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem. He briefed his Swedish counterpart on the resumption of hostilities in the Gaza Strip, which began last week after the first phase of the hostage and prisoner exchange was completed on 2 March 2025.
According to Saar, Hamas, by continuing to hold hostages and refusing to demilitarise Gaza, is deliberately provoking an escalation of the conflict. “If the Arabs lay down their arms, there will be no war. But if Israel lays down its arms, our country will cease to exist,” the minister said, emphasising Israel’s principled position in the fight against terrorism.
Earlier, Cursor reported that Gideon Saar expressed support for the resumption of the military operation in Gaza, saying that without force, the confrontation with Hamas would not have yielded results. He recalled that Israel had demonstrated a willingness to negotiate, but Hamas had twice rejected proposals presented by US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff.
Sa’ar stressed that the current situation requires Hamas to take clear steps towards de-escalation, including the release of all hostages and the abandonment of military capabilities. “We want peace, but not at the cost of security,” the minister concluded, adding that Israel is ready for any scenario if the terrorists continue their aggressive policy. The international community’s attention is now focused on whether Hamas will take advantage of the last chance for negotiations or whether the conflict in the region will gain new momentum.
