Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar (Likud) stated on Tuesday, in an interview with Channel 12 News, that Israel would not agree to the continuation of Hamas' rule over the Gaza Strip, even at the cost of giving up on the hostage deal.
"If Hamas insists on continuing to rule Gaza – there will be no deal," Zohar declared. However, he noted that Israel would like to see all hostages released and for the deal proceed to its second phase.
"We want to move to the second stage of the deal," Minister Zohar said in the interview, “but we cannot leave Hamas as the sovereign in the Gaza Strip. We will not allow this, and if President Trump can achieve a breakthrough where the deal can continue to its second phase without Hamas being the sovereign over Gaza - we can celebrate the result and say that the war is likely over."
"I've said this explicitly. The war can end, provided that Hamas no longer remains in Gaza and the area is demilitarized," added Minister Zohar. "Even in the second part of the deal, it is not written that we are willing for Hamas to remain in power, and we will not agree to that."
Zohar added, "We cannot give up an entire piece of land and say that the residents of the Gaza envelope cannot return to their homes and feel safe again. This is something that is neither possible nor logical. We want to continue with the deal, but there is a central condition on which both the Prime Minister and President Trump stand firm."