Israeli foreign minister meets European Commissioner for the Mediterranean in Jerusalem

(22 Jun 2026) RESTRICTION SUMMARY: ASSOCIATED PRESS Jerusalem - 22 June 2026 1. Wide of meeting between Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar and the European Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Šuica sitting with their delegation 2. SOUNDBITE (English) Gideon Saar, Israeli Foreign Minister: "Israel would like to see the advancement of the Trump plan in Gaza. But the condition for a different and better future for Gaza and Israel's security remains the disarmament of Hamas and the other terror organisations there and the demilitarisation of the Gaza Strip. Until this moment, Hamas is delaying." 3. SOUNDBITE (English) Dubravka Šuica, European Commissioner for the Mediterranean: "The European Union fully supports Israel's right to security. Let me be clear, Hamas must have no role in the future governance of Gaza and must disarm. At the same time, the situation on the ground in Gaza remains very problematic. Humanitarian aid must reach those in need at a bigger scale, and we should have the conditions and access for early economic recovery now. The European Union stands ready to do our part, its part, alongside regional and international partners." 4. SOUNDBITE (English) Gideon Saar, Israeli Foreign Minister: "Commissioner, every Israeli government has advanced our basic right to live in Judea and Samaria, the historical cradle of the Jewish people. No other people in the world has such a strong and documented right to its land as the Jewish people to the land of Israel. Judea and Samaria is also the minimum strategic depth necessary for our security. No government in the past, no Israeli government in the past has accepted an approach that denies our basic right to live in our homeland and sees this as illegal. No future government will do so. And this government is no exception." 5. SOUNDBITE (English) Dubravka Šuica, European Commissioner for the Mediterranean: "We also have deep concerns about the deteriorating situation regarding the illegal settlements. For the European Union, the only sustainable path forward remains a negotiated two-state solution with Israelis and Palestinians living side by side in peace and security." 6. Wide of meeting STORYLINE: Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar met with the European Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Šuica in Jerusalem on Monday. During discussions on the future of Gaza, Saar said Israel would like to see progress on U.S. President Donald Trump's plan for the territory but stressed that any new reality depends on the disarmament of Hamas and other militant groups and the demilitarisation of the Gaza Strip. He accused Hamas of delaying progress toward those goals. Šuica said the European Union fully supports Israel's right to security and agreed that Hamas should have no role in Gaza's future administration and must disarm. However, she also emphasised the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza, calling for aid to reach civilians on a larger scale and said conditions to "allow early economic recovery" were needed. "The European Union stands ready to do our part, its part, alongside regional and international partners," she said. In addition to Gaza, Šuica expressed concern about illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which Israel refers to as Judea and Samaria. Saar defended Israel's position, describing the area as the historical homeland of the Jewish people and a key component of the country's security. Šuica described the situation in the West Bank as "deteriorating." AP video shot by Moshe Edri =========================================================== Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...