Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar deepened Israel–Serbia ties with new cooperation agreements, while affirming Israel’s acceptance of President Trump’s Gaza peace plan and pinning full responsibility for the war on Hamas.
Building Bridges with Serbia
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar met Serbian counterpart Marko Đurić in Belgrade on Monday, advancing a series of agreements to strengthen bilateral ties.
The ministers signed a joint program of cooperation in education, science, and culture, alongside new memoranda of understanding on diplomatic training and consultations. They also agreed to:
- Launch a strategic dialogue between Israel and Serbia.
- Establish a joint economic committee at the ministerial level.
This partnership underscores the growing alignment between Jerusalem and Belgrade at a time when Israel is both under fire and forging global alliances.
Sa’ar on Gaza and Trump’s Plan
In his press statement, Sa’ar turned to the ongoing Gaza war and the U.S.-brokered peace initiative:
- Israel’s position: “Israel accepted President Trump’s plan for ending the war in Gaza and for a better future,” he declared. “It shouldn’t surprise anyone — we always wanted to end the war. But Hamas refuses.”
- Hamas’s culpability: Sa’ar stressed that Hamas both started the war on October 7 and has deliberately prolonged it, making the terror group solely responsible for the suffering of Israelis and Palestinians alike.
- Core goals unchanged: Israel remains committed to the Cabinet’s objectives: defeating Hamas, freeing the hostages, and ensuring a demilitarized, deradicalized Gaza that can never again threaten Israeli citizens.
“We want to see our hostages — Alon Ohel and every single one, alive and dead — come home,” Sa’ar emphasized.
