Ceasefire in Gaza will end if Hamas does not return hostages by Saturday noon: Netanyahu

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has directed the military to reinforce troops in and around the Gaza Strip following Hamas’ threat to cancel a scheduled hostage release on Saturday.

“I have just concluded an in-depth four-hour discussion in the political-security cabinet. We all also welcomed President Trump’s demand for the release of our hostages by Saturday noon, and we all also welcomed the president’s revolutionary vision for the future of Gaza,” Netanyahu was quoted by BBC as saying.

“In light of Hamas’ announcement of its decision to violate the agreement and not release our hostages, last night I ordered the IDF to amass forces inside and around the Gaza Strip. This operation is taking place at these hours. It will be completed in the very near future,” he said.

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“The decision that I passed unanimously in the cabinet is this: If Hamas does not return our hostages by Saturday noon - the ceasefire will be terminated, and the IDF will return to intense fighting until Hamas is finally defeated,” he added.

The move comes after Hamas announced on Monday that it would stop releasing Israeli hostages until further notice, accusing Israel of violating the terms of the Gaza ceasefire.

Soon after Hamas’ announcement, families of the hostages and their supporters gathered in Tel Aviv’s “Hostages Square” on Monday night, urging the government to uphold the deal.

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Under the ceasefire agreement, Hamas has released 21 hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. However, the group claimed it was delaying the release of three more hostages, alleging that Israel had not allowed sufficient aid into Gaza as stipulated in the deal.

Yemen’s Huthis threaten to resume attacks

The leader of Yemen’s Huthi rebels said on Tuesday that the Hamas-allied group was “ready to launch a military intervention” should Israel resume its attacks in the Gaza Strip.

“We are ready to launch a military intervention at any time in case of escalation against Gaza,” Abdul Malik al-Huthi, leader of the Iran-backed group which has launched attacks throughout the Gaza war in stated solidarity with the Palestinians, said a televised speech.

With inputs from agencies