JERUSALEM — On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a warning about potentially withdrawing from the ceasefire in Gaza, instructing military forces to get ready to resume operations against Hamas if the militant group does not release additional hostages by Saturday.
Hamas stated on Monday and repeated on Tuesday that it intends to postpone the release of three more hostages, claiming Israel has not adhered to the agreed-upon conditions of the ceasefire, including failing to permit a specific number of tents and humanitarian aid into Gaza.
U.S. President Donald Trump has reinforced his call for Israel to demand the release of more hostages during the meeting with Jordan’s King Abdullah II at the White House. He expressed doubts about Hamas fulfilling the deadline for the hostages’ release, saying, “I don’t think they’re going to make the deadline, personally.” Trump described the situation as Hamas trying to act tough, indicating that the true extent of their resilience remains to be seen.
Since the ceasefire began, Hamas has freed 21 hostages in five separate exchanges, while Israel has released over 730 Palestinian prisoners. A subsequent phase aims for the return of all remaining captives and an indefinite extension of the truce terms. However, Trump’s comments regarding the hostage releases and future plans for Gaza have introduced further instability within the fragile agreement.
It remains unclear whether Netanyahu’s statements concern the specific three hostages due for release on Saturday or the totality of remaining hostages, which would conflict with ceasefire terms. Netanyahu’s office expressed approval of Trump’s demands.
While Trump reiterated his demands during a press briefing, an Israeli official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, revealed that Israel is adhering to Trump’s insistence for all hostages to be released by the end of the week.
Following Trump’s remarks, Netanyahu instructed the military to prepare troops in and around the Gaza Strip for potential scenarios. Trump has suggested that if the roughly 70 remaining hostages are not freed by Saturday, Israel should nullify the ceasefire agreement.
In contrast, Hamas dismissed the threats coming from Trump, reasserting their claim that Israel has breached the ceasefire and stating they would only continue releasing hostages if both sides honored their commitments.
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri emphasized the need for adherence to the agreement, asserting that “the language of threats has no value; it only complicates matters.” The group condemned Trump’s White House statements as a “call for ethnic cleansing,” accusing him of undermining the Palestinian cause and the rights of Palestinian people.
Despite their condemnation, Hamas did affirm its willingness to stick to the ceasefire, without addressing its intentions regarding the hostages initially outlined in the agreement’s first phase.
Jordan, a key U.S. ally, faces increased pressure from the Trump administration to accommodate refugees from Gaza, potentially as part of a broader strategy for reshaping the Middle East.
During his interaction with King Abdullah II, who stood by while Trump made bold claims about U.S. control over Gaza, the King was cornered by the media regarding this new Middle Eastern strategy but remained reticent on the matter.
Nevertheless, Abdullah II did express Jordan’s immediate willingness to accept up to 2,000 children from Gaza needing urgent medical care. A report from the World Health Organization highlighted that roughly 12,000 to 14,000 patients in Gaza are still awaiting medical evacuation, including around 5,000 children.
Palestinians and the global community reacted with outrage to Trump’s controversial statements suggesting that any Palestinians displaced from Gaza will not possess a right of return.
Over the first six weeks of the ceasefire, Hamas committed to freeing 33 hostages taken during its October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, while Israel agreed to release nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Since then, a total of five exchanges have taken place.
If no agreement is reached on the more complex second phase of the ceasefire, the conflict could reignite as early as March. However, should hostilities resume, Israel will face a significantly altered battlefield. After the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to southern Gaza during the initial phases of the war, Israel has since allowed many of those displaced back to their homes, complicating military operations in that area.
