Israeli Minister of Settlements and National Missions, Orit Struck, said on Sunday that the United States “does not deserve to be labeled a friend of Israel.”

This came in an interview conducted by Radio North 104.5FM, affiliated with the Hebrew newspaper Maariv, with Strok, from the Religious Zionism party.

In response to a question about her opinion regarding the rumors about stopping the war with Hamas as part of a prisoner exchange deal, Struck said: “I am very worried this morning.”

She added: "I think that the words that were said at the negotiating table almost actually mean that the United States pledges on our behalf to stop the war."

She continued: "Israel is not another star on the American flag, referring to the fifty stars on the American flag that symbolize the number of states. It can and must adhere to its opinion."

When asked whether the United States was not a friend of Israel, Struck replied: “The United States does not meet the minimum requirements for that,” adding, “It does not deserve the name of a friend of the State of Israel.”

Despite its military, financial and diplomatic support for Israel in its war on Gaza seven months ago, the United States says it is pressuring Tel Aviv as part of regional and international efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip and exchange prisoners with Hamas. It is also pressuring it not to invade the city of Rafah, which is crowded with displaced people.

Struck had previously caused a stir last week, when she said in a statement to Israeli Army Radio that “the deal is terrible, the government that throws everything in the trash in order to return 22 or 33 people (meaning the detainees who may be included in the first phase of a deal being finalized with Hamas). for prisoner exchange) has no right to exist.”

Earlier, on Sunday, Cairo News Channel quoted a high-ranking source as saying that “positive progress” had been achieved in negotiations between Israel and Hamas to reach a ceasefire agreement in Gaza.

With the mediation of Egypt and Qatar and the participation of the United States, Israel and Hamas have been conducting faltering indirect negotiations for months to reach an agreement to exchange prisoners and ceasefire. Cairo is adopting a proposal it recently submitted regarding the deal, after intensifying its contacts with Hamas and Israel regarding “controversial points” between the two sides, according to Egyptian media, Thursday.

Tel Aviv estimates that there are 133 Israeli prisoners in Gaza, while Hamas announced that 70 of them were killed in random raids launched by Israel, which holds at least 9,500 Palestinians in its prisons.