Israel should continue in Gaza, says Czech Republic’s foreign minister Jan Lipavsky

The Czech Republic’s foreign minister says Israel has the right to continue bombing Gaza, despite growing condemnation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ongoing assault on the Strip.

In an exclusive interview with the Latika Takes podcast on the sidelines of the International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS) Defence Summit in Prague, Jan Lipavsky said it was up to Hamas to stop the fighting.

“I think it’s time for Hamas to leave Gaza,” he said, speaking from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, situated on top of the UNESCO-listed medieval city.

“And it’s time to continue with that cease-fire plan, which ends in the first phase, with some new governance for Gaza so the hostilities could end.”

Asked if it was his view that Israel should continue with its campaign in Gaza until Hamas left, Mr Lipavsky said: “They have a right to.”

“Of course, they have to do it in a way that will hurt the population the least,” he said.

“This is what we all observe and what we are all concerned with.”

Further, he said that moves by allied and like-minded countries, which have included the UK, France, Australia and Canada, to recognise a Palestinian state at the upcoming UN General Assembly, would not stop Hamas.

“Recognising Palestine definitely will not help Hamas to leave and return the bodies (and the) hostages,” Mr Lipavsky said.

“So let’s say that Czechia is not on board with that policy.

“We have a very strong relationship with Israel, it’s something which goes back many decades.

“It doesn’t say that we are not aware or critical of many events which are happening in the Middle East.

“Speaking of Gaza, we are regularly pointing out the humanitarian situation, which I would call grave.

“And we are doing it on the multicultural forums, we are doing, in a bilateral relationship context.”

He said Israel was waging war with many actors, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, Iran, the Houthis in Yemen and that a regionally-led peace process was the real solution to a lasting peace in the Middle East.

The Czech Government opposes the International Criminal Court’s warrant for Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s arrest for alleged war crimes in Gaza.

However, due to the way power is divided in the Czech Republic, the ultimate decision about whether or not to enforce the warrant, should Mr Netanyahu visit the Czech Republic, lies with prosecutors rather than the government of the day.

Mr Lipavsky was the first European politician to visit Israel in the aftermath of the attacks on October 10 and met government figures, including President Isaac Herzog, as well as the granddaughter of a hostage.

By contrast, Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong did not visit Israel until 2024 and more than 100 days after the attack.

Both Senator Wong and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese have downplayed Australia as “not a central player” in the Middle East.

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is embarking on a month of international travel that will include his first-ever trip to the UN General Assembly, where he will join France and other countries in voting in favour of recognising Palestine.

Australia-Israel relations have deteriorated severely since Mr Albanese’s decision, with Mr Netanyahu repeatedly hitting out at the Australian Prime Minister.

His mega-month of travel begins this week with a trip to the Pacific Islands for the Pacific Islands Forum in the Solomon Islands.

Some of Australia’s tiniest neighbours are also fierce supporters of Israel, including Papua New Guinea, where the Prime Minister will also travel next week.

PNG is among the handful of countries to have moved its embassy to Jerusalem.

Landlocked Czechia, bordered by Germany, Austria, Poland, and Slovakia, has a population just shy of 11 million.

Michael Makovsky, the president and CEO of the Jewish Institute for National Security of America, has previously described Czechia as “probably Israel’s closest ally” in Europe.

But Czechia’s position on Israel makes it somewhat of an outlier in Europe, particularly Western Europe, which has been gripped by waves of pro-Palestinian marches by demonstrators demanding their governments force Israel to stop its military campaign in Gaza.

On Sunday, Mr Netanyahu conceded that Israel was “paying the price” on the world stage for its campaign in Gaza, which has now expanded into the occupation of Gaza City.

“I am aware of the price that we are paying in the diplomatic and public diplomacy fields,” he said.

“But regarding the public diplomacy damage, I would like to say one thing: If I need to choose between victory over our enemies and malicious propaganda against us, I choose victory.

“I do not want stories that we have been beaten by our enemies and for us to be eulogised well in the global media.”

US President Donald Trump, who has said Israel is losing support in Congress and the international public relations war, sent a social media post claiming that it constituted his last warning to Hamas.

“Everyone wants the Hostages HOME,” he said.

“Everyone wants this War to end! The Israelis have accepted my Terms.

“It is time for Hamas to accept as well.

“I have warned Hamas about the consequences of not accepting. This is my last warning, there will not be another one!”

However, Mr Trump has a history of issuing deadlines as part of his negotiating tactics, only for them to expire without any consequence.

Israel’s campaign in Gaza, which began after the October 7 attacks, is estimated to have killed at least 64,000 people, according to the health ministry in Gaza, which is run by Hamas.

A famine has also been declared in Gaza, after 702 days of war that started when Hamas killed around 1200 people and took 251 hostages.