Israel rules out any terror-linked control of postwar Gaza, Sa’ar says

Israel will consider “any Palestinian who denounced terrorism and incitement” for future governance of the Gaza Strip, but will not allow any leadership with terror links to take power, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar says.

At a joint press conference with Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky in Jerusalem, Sa’ar says, “We don’t care about who [will rule Gaza,] we care about what will happen there, and will not repeat mistakes of the past.”

Whether Israel will withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor in southern Gaza is undetermined, according to Sa’ar. He says, “There is no agreement on the second phase” of the ceasefire and that Israel will not leave “unconditionally.”

The foreign minister declines to speculate on the likelihood or nature of a resumption of the war in Gaza.

Sa’ar confirms that Israel is open to extending the temporary ceasefire in Gaza in exchange for more hostages if “common ground” is found during an upcoming trip by an Israeli delegation to Cairo.

As the Iranian nuclear threat grows, Sa’ar backs US President Donald Trump’s maximum pressure strategy, calling it “very important.”

Concerning Israel’s decision to vote with the US on Monday against a UN resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Sa’ar clarifies that while Israel opposes Russia’s actions, “at the same time we think a chance should be given to President Trump’s initiative to try and end this war… with peacefulness.”