Like Jerusalem, the U.S. government also has doubts about the peace plan for the Gaza Strip, but believes that Israel should “give it a try,” Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said on Wednesday.
His blunt remarks come as the fragile ceasefire remains in place, even after violations of the agreements by Hamas. Those include two fatal attacks against Israel Defense Forces soldiers in Gaza over the last week and a delay in handing over remains from all those kidnapped and killed on or after Oct. 7, 2023, and still being held in the coastal strip.
“We have doubts. The Americans have doubts, but they think we should give it a try,” Sa’ar said at “The Future of Judea and Samaria” conference at the Inbal Hotel in Jerusalem, sponsored by the American Friends of Judea & Samaria and the Jewish News Syndicate. “We are giving the plan a chance. It is reasonable to do that.”
The ceasefire requires Hamas to return all bodies of hostages as soon as possible. Israel’s top diplomat said it was clear that Hamas was “playing” with the issue because they could release the bodies of most of the remaining dead hostages, and are pointedly not doing it.
At the same time, Israel’s foreign minister said that Israel was in a better situation than it was before the ceasefire went into effect on Oct. 10, since the international community is now committed to Hamas being disarmed in sync with the goal of the Israeli government.
“This is not something we are going to compromise on,” he said. “We now have strong backing for our objectives.”
Sovereignty proposal ill-timed
The Israeli Foreign Minister said a parliamentary bill to declare sovereignty over Judea and Samaria, which passed a preliminary reading while U.S. Vice President JD Vance was in the country, proved ill-timed.
“It was not wise or responsible to bring it one week after the implementation of Trump’s plan and during the visit of the vice president,” Sa’ar said.
He noted that the bill was put forward by two members of the opposition who sought to embarrass the government, even though it was also supported by some government members.
“This didn’t contribute to the state nor to the issue of sovereignty,” Sa’ar said. “In life and in political life, there is a time for everything.”
