Brussels, Feb 24 (IANS) Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar on Monday emphasised that the government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is willing to extend the ceasefire agreement with Hamas in exchange for more freed hostages.
“We do not rule out an extension of the temporary ceasefire in exchange for the release of additional hostages,” Sa’ar reportedly said as he held a series of “personal meetings” with his counterparts from the European Union as part of his diplomatic visit to Brussels.
Sa’ar made it clear that any extension of the temporary ceasefire will not happen without the release of hostages.
“We are committed to the release of our hostages and to the war’s objectives that we set.”
As he met with the foreign ministers of Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Finland, Slovakia, and Hungary on the sidelines of the 13th EU-Israel Association Council, Sa’ar also raised the issue of the Iranian threat, stating that now is the time for countries to enforce sanctions and to impose new sanctions on Tehran as the country “poses a threat to the peace of the entire region”.
Earlier in the day, the Israeli Foreign Minister met European Parliament President Roberta Mezula.
“The Palestinian Authority continues to pay money to terrorists and their families, thus encouraging terrorism. The Palestinians must change their ethos – the incitement against Israel in their education system,” he told Mezula.
He also met with Roberta Mazzola, President of the European Parliament and thanked the Speaker of Parliament for her clear support for Israel after October 7, during Israel’s difficult time.
The meeting, stated the Israeli Foreign Ministry, dealt with improving relations between Israel and the European Union. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar told the Speaker of Parliament that he expects constructive relations between Israel and the EU.
“The Palestinian Authority continues to pay money to terrorists and their families. Abu Mazen said he would continue to pay them money even if it was the last money he had left. The Palestinians must stop incitement against Israel in their education system. The European Union must ensure that its support money is not used for these purposes,” he said during the meeting.
–IANS
int/as
