Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a strong warning to Hamas, threatening to resume fighting in Gaza if the group does not return Israeli hostages by noon on Saturday. This statement has added more uncertainty to the three-week-old ceasefire.
Netanyahu stated on Tuesday that if Hamas fails to return the hostages by the specified time, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) will resume intense fighting until Hamas is defeated. This decision was made unanimously by Israel’s high-level security cabinet.
The Prime Minister’s statement came following Hamas’ announcement that they were suspending further releases of hostages, and President Donald Trump’s demand for the release of all remaining Israeli hostages by the same deadline.
Netanyahu praised Trump’s remarks but did not clarify whether Hamas is expected to release the three hostages scheduled for release on Saturday or all 76 hostages currently held in Gaza.
Israeli media later reported a clarification from an anonymous official stating that both Netanyahu and Trump are demanding the release of all remaining hostages by Saturday at noon, or else Israel will resume military action.
Netanyahu instructed the Israeli military to gather forces inside and around the Gaza Strip in preparation for potential action, which is currently underway.
The recent statements come after a series of events surrounding the ceasefire, including Trump’s controversial proposal to depopulate Gaza of Palestinian residents and the United States taking over the territory. This proposal received mixed reactions and accusations of ethnic cleansing.
Last Saturday, Hamas released three hostages in poor health, drawing attention to the deteriorating conditions. However, on Monday, Hamas announced a postponement of the next hostage release, citing alleged ceasefire violations by Israel.
Following these developments, Trump issued a threat to Hamas demanding the release of all remaining hostages.