Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Feb. 11 that terrorist group Hamas must release hostages by Feb. 15 or the cease-fire will no longer hold.
“If Hamas does not return our hostages by noon on Saturday, the cease-fire will end, and the [Israel Defense Forces (IDF)] will resume intense fighting until Hamas is decisively defeated,” he said in a video statement.
“In light of Hamas’s announcement of its decision to violate the agreement and not release our hostages, I instructed the IDF last night to amass forces inside and around the Gaza Strip. This operation is underway as we speak and will be completed as soon as possible.”
Netanyahu did not say how many hostages he expected to be released. The Israeli prime minister outlined Israel’s next steps following a security cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Feb. 10 that it is up to Israel whether to keep the deal and that he believed the cease-fire should be canceled if the remaining hostages in Gaza are not released by Hamas on Saturday.
“As far as I’m concerned, if all of the hostages aren’t returned by Saturday at 12 o’clock, I think it’s an appropriate time, I would say cancel it and all bets are off and let hell break out,” he said.
Of the about 70 remaining hostages, 34 are believed to be dead, according to Israel.
The Hamas terrorist organization has accused Israel of violating the cease-fire, which was reached last month just before Trump took office and has so far resulted in the exchange of 21 Israeli hostages for more than 730 Palestinian prisoners.
Hamas said on Feb. 10 that it will not be releasing hostages on Saturday as planned.
“The resistance leadership has closely monitored the enemy’s violations and its failure to uphold the terms of the agreement,” a Hamas spokesperson said. “This includes delays in allowing displaced Palestinians to return to northern Gaza, targeting them with airstrikes and gunfire across various areas of the Strip, and failing to facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid as agreed.”
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Monday that if Hamas did not release the hostages, it would be a “complete violation of the ceasefire agreement and the deal to release the hostages.”
“I have instructed the IDF to prepare at the highest level of alert for any possible scenario in Gaza and to protect the communities,” he said.
Trump said earlier in the week that the Palestinians would have no right to return to Gaza after it’s rebuilt “because they’re going to have much better housing.”
“I’m talking about building a permanent place for them,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News host Bret Baier on Feb. 9.
The U.S. president will meet on Feb. 11 with Jordanian King Abdullah II amid Trump’s calls to have the Jordanians and Egyptians take in Gazans. Both countries have refused and Trump said on Feb. 10 that he would be open to cutting off U.S. aid to those countries if they do not comply.
