Israel is ready to cooperate for talks that may lead to a ceasefire in its war with Hamas “as long as the Israeli security is protected,” Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Ilan Fluss said on Wednesday.
Fluss said while Israel is now more open to negotiations compared to the early days of the war, the country’s goals remain the same.
Fluss said their war objectives include the release of all hostages by Hamas and the eradication of Hamas and all its facilities. “The war is imposed on us. We need to protect our citizens,” Fluss stressed.
Last weekend, intelligence officials from the US, Israel, and Egypt engaged in talks that could finally secure a truce in the war that started on Oct. 7.
Qatar, also one of the negotiators, said there was “good progress” in the negotiations, while Israel said they were “constructive.”
“What would be the political outcome of this war is too early for us to say,” Fluss added.