Earlier today (Sunday, March 2, 2025), Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa’ar met in Jerusalem with Croatian Minister of Foreign Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman.
During their meeting, the two focused on strengthening bilateral relations. Minister Sa’ar briefed his Croatian counterpart on the latest developments regarding negotiations for the release of Israeli hostages and the situation in Gaza.
Minister Sa’ar thanked his Croatian colleague for his support of Israel during its difficult time after October 7, which was also reflected in his solidarity visit to Israel and Croatia’s presidency of the IHRA (International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance) in 2023-2024, during which it adopted the organization’s definition of antisemitism.
Foreign Minister Radman invited Minister Sa’ar to visit Croatia.
Following their meeting, the two held a press briefing.
In response to a question regarding the framework for the release of the hostages, Minister Sa’ar stated:
“Israel accepted the American proposal, presented by Special Envoy Witkoff, to extend the framework for 50 days during Ramadan and Passover in exchange for the release of hostages. Unfortunately, Hamas rejected the proposal. As the first phase of the framework has ended – we have halted the entry of trucks into Gaza. We wouldn’t do it for free. There is a side letter from the previous U.S. administration that explicitly states that there is no automatic transition between phases. We are prepared to continue negotiations, including for the second phase – based on our principles, in exchange for the release of hostages. It is important to emphasize that we have fulfilled our commitments up to the very last day.”
