The Israeli military will restart “intense fighting” in Gaza if Hamas does not release the hostages it agreed to free this weekend, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened on Tuesday.
Netanyahu’s warning came in response to an announcement from Hamas leaders that the group would not release the next batch of hostages “until further notice.” The Gaza-based U.S.-designated terrorist organization accused Israel’s military of violating the terms of the agreement.
“In light of Hamas’s announcement regarding its decision to violate the agreement and not release our hostages, last night I instructed the IDF to amass forces inside — and surrounding — the Gaza Strip. This action is being carried out at this hour and will be completed very soon,” the prime minister said. “If Hamas does not return our hostages by Saturday noon, the ceasefire will end the IDF will resume intense fighting until the final defeat of Hamas.”
To date, Hamas has released 16 of the 33 hostages the group agreed to release during this phase of the ceasefire. Israel has released 656 Palestinian prisoners from a list of almost 2,000. Hamas was supposed to release three hostages this weekend.
This phase of the deal is set to expire at the end of February, and negotiations for the second and third phases have barely begun.
President Donald Trump said earlier this week that “all hell is going to break out” if Hamas does not release “all” of the hostages this week. He said Israel should “cancel” the ceasefire if Hamas doesn’t acquiesce.
The president has discussed a plan for the United States to take over Gaza to rebuild the war-torn enclave that would involve moving the Palestinians into Arab nations and not letting them return.
“No, they wouldn’t because they’re going to have much better housing,” Trump said, adding, “In other words, I’m talking about building a permanent place for them because if they have to return now, it’ll be years before you could ever — it’s not habitable. It would be years before it could happen.”
Hamas has threatened to violently oppose a U.S. takeover, and it’s unclear whether such a plan would require a physical U.S. military presence.
Trump has dubbed the long-term goal to be the creation of the “Riviera of the Middle East,” while U.S. officials have said the reconstruction effort could take 10-15 years. A report from the United Nations said the reconstruction will likely cost more than $50 billion.
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Arab nations have widely criticized the plan, arguing that they do not want to facilitate the removal of Palestinians from the enclave, which they say would amount to ethnic cleansing, even with the widespread destruction, while Netanyahu is one of the few world leaders to express support for the idea.
Trump met with King Abdullah II bin al Hussein of Jordan on Tuesday. Abdullah declined to address Trump’s plans for Gaza directly, instead committing to taking 2,000 sick Palestinians for treatment within his country. The president called it a “beautiful gesture.”