Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa'ar speaks to reporters at the ministry in Jerusalem, Jan. 13, 2025. Photo by Chaim Goldberg/Flash90.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said on Wednesday that while it is still seeking to renew the hostages and ceasefire deal with the Hamas terror group in Gaza, the Jewish state won’t “wait forever.”
“Hamas, which insists on continuing to hold hostages and refuses to demilitarize the Gaza Strip, is pushing for the renewal of war in Gaza,” Sa’ar said, alongside his Swedish counterpart, Maria Malmer Stenergard, at a press conference after their meeting in Jerusalem.
“Israel will no longer tolerate the ongoing threat to its security and civilians from Gaza,” Sa’ar said, per an Israeli readout.
In addition to renewing military operations in the Gaza Strip, which Sa’ar described as “limited for now,” Israel is still conducting talks “aimed at reaching an agreement to extend the ceasefire and release the hostages,” the top diplomat said.
“But we will not wait forever,” he said.
In his remarks, Sa’ar emphasized the need for an Israel Defense Forces victory over the terror group, quoting the late Israeli prime minister Golda Meir, who once said that if the Arabs lay down their weapons, there will be no more war but if Israel lays down its weapons, there will be no more Jewish state.
In a private meeting with Stenergard, Sa’ar said that he discussed “regional developments and bilateral relations.” The Israeli minister also provided an overview of the situation in the region and addressed the multi-front war, per his office.
The two diplomats also held an extended meeting with their staffs.
Earlier on Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his government remains “determined to achieve all the war goals.” The objectives include Hamas’s destruction, the return of the remaining 59 hostages and assurance that Gaza will never again pose a threat to Israel.
As long as Hamas refuses to release the captives, “the pressure we apply will become stronger and stronger,” Netanyahu told the Knesset. “This includes capturing territories and other moves I will not elaborate on here.”
U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff sought to extend the ceasefire in Gaza through the Passover and Ramadan periods, during which time Hamas would release 11 living hostages and half of the bodies it still holds. Israel endorsed Witkoff’s proposed outline, but Hamas did not.
In response, the IDF resumed military activity against Hamas on March 18. The renewed Israeli military campaign has been officially named “Operation Strength and Sword.”
Source: JNS
