Hamas is “slowly trickling” the return of the 13 remaining dead hostages to delay the second phase of the ceasefire, which requires its disarmament, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said during a joint press conference in Jerusalem with his Albanian counterpart, Elisa Spiropali, on Thursday.
“Hamas is barbarically abusing the families who have waited two long years and simply want to lay their sons to rest. We demand the immediate return of all the bodies that Hamas is holding,” Israel’s top diplomat said.
Sa’ar expressed gratitude for the visits of U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and State Secretary Marco Rubio to Jerusalem, a sign of Israel’s “tight friendship with the U.S. and with the Trump administration.”
“Israel is committed to working toward the success of President Trump’s plan. There are difficulties. But we are doing everything we can to work toward its success,” the minister stressed.
“Hamas and Islamic Jihad must lay down their arms. Gaza must be demilitarized. It must no longer be allowed to pose a threat to Israel and its citizens. This is at the heart of the Trump plan. We will not compromise on it,” Sa’ar continued.
He slammed the “outrageous” advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, issued earlier in the day, that the Jewish state must facilitate relief efforts by United Nations entities to the Gaza Strip, in particular those of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).
“This is not a ‘Court of Justice,’” Sa’ar said. “It’s a kangaroo court—a corrupt, political circus. … We will not agree to cooperate with UNRWA—an organization whose employees participated in the October 7 massacre. It’s horrific and shameful that a U.N. agency is infiltrated with terrorists. UNRWA still employs over 1,400 Hamas terrorists! There is no power on earth that can force this upon Israel.”
Turning to Albania, the foreign minister recalled the “special place” the Balkan state has in Jewish history.
“During the Holocaust, the people of Albania had the moral bravery to save and protect Jews. They were exceptional in Europe at that time. It was the only country in Europe where the number of Jews was greater after the war than before it. We will never forget this,” Sa’ar said.
He praised Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama’s “true courage” in standing up to Iran and being a “true friend” of Israel.
Israeli tourism to the country in the year through August has risen by more than 1,000% over the whole of 2024, Sa’ar said.
“We expect there to be more than 77,000 Israeli tourists in Albania this year. There are now direct flights and a growing interest of Israelis in visiting Albania. The economic potential in our relations is huge. Albania is a beautiful country and a safe destination for Israelis and Jews,” he said.
