Released Israeli hostage Agam Berger tells French FM that 'diplomatic solutions' won't solve existential conflict with Hamas

The released Israeli hostage Agam Berger told French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot that diplomatic solutions will not end the conflict with the radical terrorist organization Hamas, which openly opposes Israel’s very existence. 

“They don’t want [to live] ‘together.’ All of these diplomatic solutions… it’s not going to work because it’s us or them,” Berger explained at the French Foreign Ministry, which, according to the French embassy in Israel, hosted the families of 20 out of the remaining 58 hostages who are still held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. 

Berger emphasized that while Israel prefers a diplomatic solution to the conflict, achieving genuine peace is impossible with Hamas' ideology.

“If it were possible not to choose war, we wouldn’t choose it. But the moment that there is a war for the existence of our country – that’s what we’re going to do,” Berger said. She urged the French foreign minister to adopt a firm stance against Hamas, which refuses to release the remaining hostages and disarm. 

Twenty-year-old Berger was kidnapped from the Israeli military’s Nahal Oz observation base close to the Gaza border by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7, 2023. She was released on Jan. 30, during the internationally brokered ceasefire and hostage deal. 

Following the meeting, Barrot wrote on 𝕏 that he had met  “with the families of the hostages and Agam Berger,” who was “held in captivity for 473 days in inhumane conditions.”

“All the hostages must be freed. Now. Hamas must be disarmed and excluded from Gaza’s political future,” he added. He did not elaborate on how this goal could be achieved through diplomatic means, given Hamas’ continued refusal to release the remaining hostages or disarm.

“Minister Barrot heard the delegation’s plea for help and support in order to secure the release of hostages still being held in Gaza,” stated a readout from the meeting, shared by the French embassy. 

The readout noted that Barrot stated, “Hamas was a brutal terrorist organization that needed to be fought, disarmed and excluded from any political solution in Gaza,” and that “France had taken sanctions against Hamas and its members, it was ready to contribute to the definition of a lasting political solution to the conflict, without Hamas.” 

The French foreign minister reportedly “reiterated France’s absolute commitment to an immediate and unconditional release of all remaining hostages.” 

“France had worked to deliver medicine to hostages in Gaza and was activating all diplomatic channels, most notably with mediating Arab countries, to enable their release,” it added.

Barrot “recalled France’s steadfast commitment to Israel’s security,” referring to the French military’s contribution last year in intercepting ballistic missiles and drones fired by Iran and the Houthis against Israel. He added that France “was fully engaged to ensure that Iran would never develop a nuclear weapon.”

The meeting between Barrot and the families of Israeli hostages took place amid diplomatic tensions between Paris and Jerusalem.