Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday threatened to withdraw from his country’s ceasefire with Hamas and resume “intense fighting” in the Gaza Strip if the militant group does not release more hostages by midday Saturday.
Netanyahu’s warning followed President Donald Trump’s threat in recent days to let “all hell break out” in Gaza, after Hamas reiterated Tuesday that it would indefinitely postpone the next round of hostage-prisoner swap scheduled for Saturday. The Palestinian organization has accused Israel of violating terms of their three-week-old ceasefire.
After a four-hour emergency meeting with Israel’s security Cabinet on Tuesday afternoon, Netanyahu said he had received unanimous support to mass Israeli troops in and around Gaza.
“If Hamas does not return our hostages by Saturday noon — the ceasefire will end and the [Israel Defense Forces] will return to intense fighting until Hamas is finally defeated,” he said in a video statement following the meeting.
Israel left behind great destruction in Shaboura Refugee Camp in Rafah, from which it withdrew after the ceasefire
A man looks out over the devastation in Rafah, southern Gaza, last week. Abed Rahim Khatib / Anadolu via Getty Images
It was unclear whether Netanyahu was referring to the three hostages originally scheduled to be released Saturday or all hostages held in Gaza.
While Hamas earlier this week said it planned to delay hostage releases — it has accused Israel of carrying out deadly shootings, blocking the delivery of humanitarian aid and inhibiting Palestinians’ passage to northern Gaza — it has since reaffirmed its commitment to the truce without explicitly reversing it position on freeing Israeli captives.
