Ceasefire will end if Hamas doesn’t return hostages, Netanyahu says

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Hamas on Tuesday that Israel would end the ceasefire in Gaza if hostages held by Hamas were not returned as scheduled by Saturday.

“If Hamas does not return our hostages by Saturday noon, the ceasefire will end and the IDF will return to intense fighting until a final victory over Hamas,” Netanyahu said.

He added that he had ordered Israeli troops to amass inside and around Gaza in response to Hamas’ announcement that it would be postponing releasing hostages until further notice.

Hamas said Monday it would postpone the scheduled release of three Israeli hostages on Saturday, citing allegations that Israel had violated the terms of a fragile ceasefire agreement between the pair.

In response to Netanyahu’s comments, Hamas said it was committed to the ceasefire deal and that Israel was responsible for “any complications and delays.”

The militant group have accused Israel of violating parts of the three-week-old agreement — including blocking critical humanitarian aid from entering the Gaza Strip.

Israel has repeatedly denied claims that it was jeopardising the truce.

The Israeli leader’s comments come after US President Donald Trump asserted that the ceasefire deal should be cancelled if Hamas did not return the hostages.

Trump’s remarks have seemingly emboldened Netanyahu, who declared after a four-hour long meeting with his security cabinet on Tuesday that he “welcomed President Trump’s demand.”

It is unclear whether Netanyahu’s ultimatum refers to all remaining 76 hostages in the Gaza Strip or just the three that were slated to be released over the weekend.

Netanyahu himself did not clarify, however Israel’s transport minister and war cabinet member Miri Regev posted on X that: “We made a very clear decision: We adhere to US President Donald Trump’s statement regarding the release of the hostages – on Saturday, everyone will be released!”

The breakdown in negotiations comes as Trump suggested last week that the 2 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip should be relocated and the US should take “ownership” of the territory.

Governments in Arab world and beyond rejected his idea, and Trump’s own officials sought to walk back on parts of his proposal.

Hamas called Trump’s comments “racist” and said they “constitute a call for ethnic cleansing.” The United Nations warned that Trump’s plan could constitute a breach of international law.

Hamas committed to releasing 33 hostages it captured during its 7 October attack on Israel as part of the first phase of a three-part ceasefire agreement. Nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners were to be released in exchange.

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The sides have carried out five such swaps since 19 January when the ceasefire came into effect.

The war could resume in early March if no agreement is reached on the more complex and controversial terms of the ceasefire’s second phase.

In the meantime, Israel has allowed thousands of displaced Palestinians to return to Gaza, posing a new challenge to its ability to move ground troops through the territory should the war recommence.

Additional sources • AP