In his weekly press briefing to the foreign press, Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa'ar alleged that Turkey was working with Iran to rebuild Hezbollah and clarified that the Palestinian Authority has not stopped its "Pay-for-Slay" strategy.
At the start of the briefing, Sa'ar noted: "We will begin negotiations for phase two of the framework for the release of the hostages. Israel is committed to our goal to ensure the release of all our hostages. But we are also committed to Gaza's demilitarization and will not compromise on it."
He alleged that Hamas is planning to "push to adopt the 'Hezbollah' model in Gaza. Hamas will transfer civil rule to the Palestinian Authority or another group but will continue to be the dominant military force in the Gaza Strip. But we demand the complete demilitarization of Gaza. Israel will not accept the continued presence of Hamas or any other terrorist groups in Gaza. And we demand an enforcement mechanism to ensure this happens."
Regarding the northern arena, he discussed the IDF withdrawal from southern Lebanon and noted: "We are temporarily remaining in five strategic high points necessary for our security. We are completing the withdrawal despite the violations of the agreement. The most basic violation is the presence of Hezbollah operatives south of the Litani River. Unfortunately, this is still the reality. Once Lebanon fully implements its side of the deal, there will be no need to hold the five points."
Sa'ar warned: "Iran is making huge efforts to restore Hezbollah by financial support. Part of this is being done with the cooperation of Turkey. If Hezbollah is restored as the dominant military and economic force, Lebanon will remain under Iranian occupation and without a future. The Lebanese Army must be stronger than Hezbollah. Lebanon is trying to counter Iranian influence and this is the reason Hezbollah operatives attacked UNIFIL forces. It is in the interest of the international community to prevent Iran's occupation of Lebanon through Hezbollah."
Regarding the visit by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, he affirmed: "Israel has never had a greater friend in the White House than President Trump. And we could not have asked for a better Secretary of State than Marco Rubio. I believe that the relationship between Israel and the United States will reach new heights in the coming years, elevating Israel’s diplomatic standing worldwide. I will soon visit Washington for an official visit."
At the end of the briefing, the Minister stated: "The Palestinian Authority continues with its usual deception and its Pay-for-Slay strategy. Based on their statements and the intelligence we have, payments to families of terrorists proceed this week as always. The PA continues to finance and encourage terrorism."