From the Liveblog of
Thursday, February 19, 2026
Sa’ar praises Trump and Netanyahu, stresses disarmament, deradicalization in Gaza
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleJacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
WASHINGTON — Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar begins his speech at the Board of Peace’s inaugural meeting in Washington by praising US President Donald Trump as well as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for securing the October ceasefire and hostage release deal.
He then thanks Israel’s soldiers, including the 925 who lost their lives fighting during the last two-plus years of war.
Sa’ar highlights the atrocities committed by Hamas during its October 7, 2023, attack that sparked the war.
“All previous plans for Gaza failed because they never addressed the core issues: terror, hate, incitement, and indoctrination,” Sa’ar says, touting Trump’s plan for breaking that trend.
He reiterates the US proposal’s insistence on the disarmament of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, along with the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip and “de-radicalization of Palestinian society there.”
He stresses the disarmament plan must cover “all weapons, terror infrastructure, underground tunnel network, and weapons production facilities.”
Sa’ar says Israel supports Trump’s plan and “will work toward its success.”
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