Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar suggests that Hamas’s praise of Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp over his resignation after failing to secure more sanctions against Israel shows a pattern of Europe rewarding Hamas, Al Jazeera reports.

In a post on X, Saar referred to announced moves by France and other countries to recognise a Palestinian state during the UN General Assembly in September as similar counterproductive initiatives.

“Europe must choose: Israel or Hamas. Every action against Israel directly serves the jihadist axis in the Middle East,” Saar wrote in English.

According to Israeli media, Saar departed Israel on Saturday night for the US in what will be his first official visit as foreign minister.