Israel FM warns regional instability to persist if Hamas stays in power in Gaza

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar warned on Sunday that the Middle East would remain unstable if the Palestinian militant group Hamas remained in power in the Gaza Strip.

"If (Hamas) will stay in power, the regional instability it causes might continue," Saar said at a press conference.

Speaking as a ceasefire went into effect in Gaza, Saar said Israel was committed to achieving all the goals of its war against Hamas, including dismantling its governmental and military capabilities.

He said Israel had not managed to get rid of Hamas but had made "an advancement", turning it "from a terrorist army to a guerilla group".

If the international community wanted a permanent ceasefire, he added, then it must include the dismantling of Hamas as a military power and ruling entity in Gaza.

"Theoretically we can achieve it by an agreement, but that will be negotiated in the future during the first phase," Saar said.

Asked about the Israeli public's fears that the ceasefire would collapse, he insisted that advancing to the second phase of the ceasefire was contingent on Israel's war goals.

"First of all, we are committed to release all our hostages," he said. "But it is clear... that to move from the first phase to the second phase is not something automatic."

"To do it automatically is to accept Hamas's wishes and Hamas's demands. We have objectives to achieve, and we will negotiate that... in good faith," he added, but "it is not automatic".