Israel’s Foreign Minister, Gideon Sa’ar, met yesterday (Wednesday) with Kaja Kallas, the new Foreign Minister of the European Union, during the OSCE Foreign Ministers’ Conference held in Malta.
“The Israeli Government is Serious About Reaching a Deal”
In the meeting, Sa’ar emphasized Israel’s commitment to advancing a deal for the release of hostages and noted that there might now be an opportunity to reach an agreement on the matter.
“The Israeli government is serious about its desire to reach a deal for the release of hostages. It’s possible that now there is an opportunity to achieve this,” the Foreign Minister said.
Sa’ar also expressed Israel’s desire to open a new chapter in its relationship with the European Union after years of ups and downs. “We want to open a new chapter in relations between us and the EU, one of constructive dialogue and cooperation,” Sa’ar stated. He sought the support of Kallas and the EU in advancing the matter, particularly given that some of the hostages hold foreign citizenship, and stressed the importance of keeping the issue on the global agenda.
Sources among the families who were updated on the developments stated that the negotiations are “very serious, but it’s still too early to know if they will succeed.” According to the information provided to them, the deal would be partial and would not include kidnapped soldiers but rather those classified as “humanitarian cases.”
Defense Minister Israel Katz also declared this afternoon during a visit to the Tel Nof Airbase:
“The pressure on the monstrous Hamas organization is increasing—there’s a chance that this time we might actually advance a hostage deal.”
Against the backdrop of the ministers’ statements, earlier today the Qatari newspaper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported that an Israeli delegation, led by Shin Bet Chief Ronen Bar, is expected to arrive in Cairo tomorrow to discuss various ideas regarding a hostage deal and a ceasefire in Gaza.
