Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa’ar met on Tuesday with Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković at the Prime Minister’s Office in Zagreb. The two held a one-on-one meeting, followed by a meeting with delegations from both sides.
During the meeting, they discussed bilateral relations between the two countries and the situation in the Middle East, with an emphasis on the war against Hamas in Gaza. Minister of Foreign Affairs Sa’ar thanked the Prime Minister for Croatia’s support for Israel during its difficult time following the October 7th massacre, and reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening relations between the two nations.
Addressing the situation in Gaza, Foreign Minister Sa’ar said that Israel seeks to bring the war to an end based on President Trump’s proposal and according to the principles set by Israel's Security Cabinet.
The Minister described the deadly terrorist attack that targeted Israeli civilians yesterday in Jerusalem, as well as the ongoing rocket fire from Gaza toward Israel, including this week.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Sa’ar stressed that Israel is the country that has been under attack on all fronts over the past two years and is not the aggressor. He added that Israel’s enemies, led by Iran, have had and continue to have a plan to eliminate Israel through simultaneous attacks from multiple fronts.
Minister Sa'ar emphasized that Israel desires peace - but cannot compromise on the security of the state and its citizens.
According to Trump's proposal, all 48 hostages, living and deceased, will be released on the first day of the deal, as hundreds of terrorists and thousands of Palestinian Arab detainees are released.
As part of the framework, Israel would halt the takeover of Gaza City and would immediately begin negotiations to end the war, under the direct management of President Trump. The fighting will not renew as long as the negotiations are ongoing.