Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said the Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal with Hamas has come at a “high cost” for Israel.
The minister claimed that Hamas’ rule in Gaza poses a significant threat to both Israel’s security and the Palestinian people.
“There would be no future peace, stability and security for both sides if Hamas remained in power in Gaza,” Gideon Sa’ar said.
He added that although Israel has not succeeded in fully removing Hamas, it has made progress in weakening the group.
According to Sa’ar, the ceasefire is temporary and any more permanent truce will not be negotiated until day 16 of the agreement.
The Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement took effect at 11.15 a.m. local time (0915GMT) on Sunday after a few hours’ delay due to Israeli accusations for Hamas of delaying the release of a list of captives set to be let go. It was originally scheduled to start on 8.30 a.m.
