Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar on Tuesday said that “more than one European foreign minister” has told him that signing the letter condemning Israel’s war in Gaza was a mistake, and it emboldened Hamas’s stance in ceasefire talks.
The letter was signed by the UK and more than 20 other countries, calling for an immediate end to the war in Gaza and criticizing the Israeli government’s aid delivery model after hundreds of Palestinians were reportedly killed near sites distributing food.
“International pressure on Israel is only hardening Hamas’s stance; global pressure must be on Hamas to free the hostages and lay down its arms,” he said.
Sa’ar added that military pressure in Gaza is effective, but it is not the only option, adding that Israel is also ready to use diplomacy.
Egypt and Qatar, which have mediated Gaza hostage-ceasefire talks, said that there has been progress in the talks, but the latest round of negotiations in Doha broke off last week without a deal in sight.
“Hamas not only steals aid; they are profiting from it and using [the] funds as a financial resource during the war,” Sa’ar added.
“We are witnessing a distorted campaign of international pressure against Israel over recent days,” the foreign minister said, noting that this campaign is fueling rising antisemitism.
Sa'ar addresses claims Israel starving Gazans, calling situation 'tough'
He also addressed the recent claims that Israel has been forcefully starving Gazans, saying that while the situation is “tough,” the idea that Israel has implemented a “starvation policy” is a lie.
“The reality is the opposite; Israel is working very hard under very complicated circumstances to facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza.”
Regarding the recognition of Palestinian statehood, Sa’ar said, “Establishing a Palestinian state today is establishing a Hamas state, a jihadist state.”
He criticized France’s foreign minister, who, while in New York on Monday, said that Europe “must pressure Israel to accept a two-state solution.”
"But this cannot and will not lead Israel to commit suicide," Sa'ar said.