Israel is interested in ending the Gaza war based on US President Donald Trump’s proposal, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said on Tuesday, stressing that any agreement must align with principles set by Israel’s Security Cabinet and with the outline now on the table.
Sa’ar pointed to five benchmarks that guide Israel’s position, including the return of all hostages and measures that prevent Hamas from rebuilding its military capabilities. Those Security Cabinet principles were adopted in early August and remain the government’s policy.
“The war can end tomorrow,” Sa’ar said. “President Trump said it clearly two days ago: Israel said yes to his proposal. We are ready to accept a full deal that would end the war based on the Cabinet's decision. We only have two simple demands: the return of our hostages and for Hamas to lay down its arms.”
The current American outline pairs a ceasefire with the release of remaining hostages, followed by steps to stabilize Gaza. On Sunday, Trump confirmed that Israel had agreed to the deal and urged Hamas to accept.
Israeli officials say the structure under discussion is designed to secure the hostages and establish firm security parameters for Gaza. The focus, they say, is on sequencing commitments in a way that can be verified.
Sa’ar underlined that Israel’s conditions were not only for its own security but also for the Palestinians’ future. “The second condition is not critical only for Israel,” he said. “It ensures a better future for Gaza and the Palestinians, a different future free of Hamas’ oppressive terrorist regime.”
Hamas has pushed back on a central element of the plan, saying it would not release hostages on the first day of a truce. That position has complicated the sequencing at the heart of the US effort.
Sa’ar also tied the stakes of the current negotiations to broader regional dynamics. “The problem of Hamas and radical Islamist terror states is not just Israel’s problem,” he said. “It is a problem for the Palestinians, too. It is a problem for regional stability.”
What happens next
Israeli officials state that any move will be measured against the Cabinet’s criteria, not external pressure. The stated goal remains to free the hostages and ensure Gaza cannot serve as a platform for future attacks.
The five Cabinet benchmarks continue to serve as the yardstick for any decision to end the fighting. They include returning all hostages and preventing Hamas from rearming, which officials describe as nonnegotiable outcomes.
Sa’ar warned against international efforts to recognize a Palestinian state at this stage, linking them to the October 7 massacre. “Yesterday’s terrorist attack demonstrates the dangers of establishing a Palestinian terror state in the heart of our homeland,” he said. “The current initiative to recognize a so-called Palestinian state also harms regional stability. It rewards Hamas for the October 7 massacre and serves as an incentive for Hamas to continue the war.”
“We will evaluate the American proposal in line with the Security Cabinet’s principles,” Sa’ar concluded.