Israel and Gaza ceasefire- Following nearly 16 months of conflict, Hamas has gradually released detainees since the truce’s first phase began on January 19. However, on Monday, the group announced it would halt further releases until further notice, citing accusations that Israel is violating the agreement of Israel and Gaza ceasefire.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Tuesday that if Hamas did not release captives by Saturday noon, the Gaza truce would end, and the military would resume fighting the Palestinian militant group until its defeat.
In response to Netanyahu’s ultimatum, Hamas issued a statement reaffirming its commitment to the truce while accusing Israel of undermining the Israel and Gaza ceasefire deal.
The Israeli announcement followed Netanyahu’s meeting with key ministries, including defense, foreign affairs, and national security, all of whom, he said, fully supported the ultimatum.
After nearly 16 months of conflict, Hamas has gradually released detainees since the first phase of the truce began on January 19. However, on Monday, the group announced it would pause further releases until further notice, citing allegations that Israel was violating the agreement of Israel and Gaza ceasefire.
“If Hamas does not return our hostages by Saturday noon, the Israel and Gaza ceasefire will end, and the IDF (military) will resume intense fighting until Hamas is ultimately defeated,” Netanyahu stated.
It was not immediately clear whether Netanyahu was referring to the release of all hostages held in Gaza or only the three who had been expected to be freed on Saturday under the Israel and Gaza ceasefire agreement.
His office did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment on the prime minister’s statements.
U.S. President Donald Trump, a strong supporter of Israel, has stated that Hamas should release all hostages by Saturday.
The prime minister also announced that he had instructed the military to amass forces inside and around Gaza. Shortly after, the military confirmed the deployment of additional troops to Israel’s south, including the mobilization of reservists.
A Hamas official earlier stated that Israeli hostages could only be released if the Israel and Gaza ceasefire agreement was upheld, rejecting the “language of threats” after Trump warned he would “let hell break out” if they were not freed.
“Trump must remember that there is an agreement that both parties must honor, and this is the only way to secure the return of the (Israeli) prisoners,” senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters.
Hamas has accused Israel of violating the Israel and Gaza ceasefire agreement through multiple deadly shootings, delaying some aid deliveries, and obstructing the return of Gazans to the northern part of the strip.
Israel denies restricting aid and claims it has only fired at individuals who ignored warnings to stay away from Israeli troops.
So far, 16 of the 33 hostages have been released under the ceasefire deal’s first phase, which is set to last 42 days. Additionally, five Thai hostages were freed in an unscheduled release under the Israel and Gaza ceasefire agreement.
In return, Israel has freed hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees, including those serving life sentences for deadly attacks and others who were detained during the war without being charged.
An Israeli group representing hostage families urged Netanyahu to uphold the Israel and Gaza ceasefire agreement.
“We must not go backwards. We cannot allow the hostages to waste away in captivity,” the hostages’ forum stated.
According to Israeli media, 76 hostages remain in Gaza, with more than 35 believed to be dead.
Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who was among the key ministers meeting with Netanyahu on Tuesday, stated that if all hostages were not released by Saturday, the war should resume.
If that occurs, Gaza’s water, electricity, and aid should be cut off, and its Palestinian residents should be removed, he stated.
“There will be nothing but fire and devastation from our planes, artillery, tanks, and heroic fighters. The Gaza Strip will be fully occupied,” he declared.
President Trump Plan for Palestine and Gaza– Israel and Gaza ceasefire
Gaza, one of the most densely populated regions in the world, has suffered immense destruction due to Israel’s military offensive. The territory faces severe shortages of food, water, and shelter, requiring billions of dollars in foreign aid.
According to the Gaza health ministry, the war has claimed the lives of over 48,000 Palestinians, and nearly the entire pre-war population of 2.3 million has been displaced within the enclave.
According to Israeli figures, approximately 1,200 people were killed in the Hamas-led attack on southern Israeli communities on October 7, 2023, and around 250 were taken to Gaza as hostages.
Last week, Trump suggested that the U.S. should take control of Gaza and relocate more than 2 million Palestinian residents to develop the enclave into the “Riviera of the Middle East.” Netanyahu praised the proposal and announced on Tuesday that the security cabinet had endorsed it.
Trump’s plan has sparked outrage among Palestinians and Arab leaders, overturning decades of U.S. policy that supported a two-state solution, where Israel and a Palestinian state would coexist.
The forced displacement of a population under military occupation is considered a war crime under the 1949 Geneva Conventions.
Trump reiterated his stance during a meeting with Jordan’s King Abdullah at the White House on Tuesday, despite strong opposition to the plan from Washington’s Arab allies, including Jordan.
Palestinians fear a recurrence of what they call the Nakba, or catastrophe, when hundreds of thousands were displaced or expelled during the 1948 war that led to Israel’s creation. Israel denies that they were forcibly removed.
For Jordan, Trump’s remarks on resettlement raise concerns about a potential mass expulsion of Palestinians from both Gaza and the West Bank, aligning with an idea long promoted by ultra-nationalist Israelis, suggesting Jordan as an alternative Palestinian homeland.
Gazans interviewed by Reuters criticized Trump’s statement that he would be ready for “hell” to break loose if all Israeli hostages were not freed under the Israel and Gaza ceasefire agreement by noon on Saturday.
“Hell worse than what we have already? Worse than killing? The destruction, all the acts and human rights violations that have happened in Gaza have not occurred anywhere else in the world,” said Jomaa Abu Kosh, a Palestinian from Rafah in southern Gaza, standing next to the ruins of demolished homes.
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