Israeli PM Netanyahu Sets Saturday Noon Deadline for Hamas Hostage Release, Threatens Full-Scale War
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has issued a stern ultimatum to Hamas, demanding the release of Israeli hostages by noon on Saturday. Failure to comply, he warned, would result in Israel terminating the current ceasefire and resuming intense military operations in Gaza.
Over the past three weeks, Hamas has released 21 captives as part of prisoner exchanges with Israel. However, on Monday, the group threatened to halt further exchanges, citing Israeli violations of the deal. These alleged breaches include preventing displaced Palestinians from returning to northern Gaza, restricting humanitarian aid deliveries, and delaying negotiations for the second phase of the ceasefire.
Following a four-hour Security Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Netanyahu announced that Israel would resume full-scale war in Gaza if Hamas does not release the hostages by the given deadline. “In light of Hamas’ announcement regarding its decision to violate the agreement and not release our hostages,” he stated, “I instructed the IDF to amass forces inside and surrounding the Gaza Strip.”
Netanyahu clarified that if Hamas fails to return the hostages by Saturday noon, the ceasefire will end, and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will resume intense fighting until the final defeat of Hamas. It remains unclear whether Netanyahu expects all hostages to be freed or just the three scheduled for release in the next exchange.
The Israeli prime minister’s ultimatum echoes a similar demand made by U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday. The American leader warned that unless all hostages are released by Saturday, “all bets are off” and “all hell is going to break out” in Gaza. During a meeting with Netanyahu last week, Trump floated the idea of the U.S. taking control of the Palestinian enclave to transform it into “the Riviera of the Middle East,” potentially relocating Palestinians from Gaza to neighboring countries like Jordan and Egypt.
Tensions between Israel and Hamas have been escalating since Monday, when Hamas threatened to halt prisoner exchanges due to Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement. Netanyahu’s deadline for hostage release adds another layer of complexity to the ongoing situation in Gaza, raising concerns about a potential resumption of full-scale conflict. As the deadline approaches, all parties involved are closely monitoring developments and preparing for various scenarios.