Gideon Sa'ar: Israel 'will not wait indefinitely' for Hamas
The Israeli Foreign Minister hardens his stance in the face of the Palestinian terrorist group's refusal to release the hostages.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said on Wednesday that Israel remains committed to negotiations for a ceasefire and the release of hostages, while warning that the patience of the Hebrew state has limits.
During a press conference in Jerusalem alongside his Swedish counterpart Maria Malmer Stenergard, Sa'ar pointed the finger of blame at Hamas for the current escalation. "Hamas, by stubbornly holding hostages and refusing to demilitarize the Gaza Strip, is pushing for the resumption of war," he said.
"Israel will no longer tolerate the constant threat to its security and its civilians from Gaza," he firmly stated, while describing the recently resumed military operations as "limited for now." Despite these operations, the minister emphasized that diplomatic efforts continue to extend the ceasefire and secure the release of hostages, before warning – "But we will not wait indefinitely."
Last week, Israel launched surprise strikes against terrorist targets in Gaza, after Hamas rejected the ceasefire proposal put forth by American envoy Steve Witkoff and refused to release more hostages.
The Trump administration quickly expressed its support for these operations. Karoline Leavitt, White House spokeswoman, stated that the president "fully supports" the Israeli offensive, while Mike Waltz, national security advisor, asserted on X: "Israel has every right to defend its people against Hamas terrorists. The ceasefire would have been extended if Hamas had released all remaining hostages. Instead, they chose war."