Netanyah warns relaunching the Gaza war if the hostages are not released on Saturday

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has threatened Tuesday that his country will withdraw from the ceasefire agreement at the Gaza Strip and resume the fight against Hamas if the group declared terrorist by the US and the EU does not free the next hostage group on Saturday.

Hamas said Monday and reiterated Tuesday that he intends to postpone the release of three other hostages, accusing Israel of failing to meet the ceasefire conditions.

According to Hamas, Israel has not allowed the introduction of more tents and other humanitarian aid to Gaza.

United States President Donald Trump has encouraged Israel to seek the release of even more hostages on Saturday. However, it is not clear whether Netanyah's threat referred to the release of all remaining hostages in Gaza, or only the three hostages planned to be released on Saturday.

Earlier Tuesday, an Israeli official said Netanyahu has ordered the army to send more troops inside and around the Gaza Strip.

Netanyah also ordered officials “to prepare for each scenario, unless Hamas release our hostages this Saturday”, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, reports the Associated Press.

So far, Hamas has released 21 hostages in a series of exchanges for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

President Trump has said that Israel must completely cancel the ceasefire if all the remaining 70 hostages are not released by Saturday. Hamas rejected his threat Tuesday, strengthening the claim that Israel has violated the ceasefire and warned it will continue to release hostages only if all sides abide by the ceasefire.

During the first six-week phase of the ceasefire, Hamas pledged that he would release 33 hostages seized during the attack he carried out in Israel on October 7, 2023, while Israel said it would release nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. The sides have conducted five exchanges since January 19th.

The war could resume in early March unless an agreement on the second and most complex phase of the ceasefire is reached, which requires the return of all remaining hostages and an indefinite extension of the ceasefire.

But if Israel resumes the war, he will face a very different battlefield.

After forcing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to move south of Gaza at the beginning of the war, Israel allowed many of these displaced people to return to what was left of their homes, presenting a new challenge to its ability to move troops across dense territory. / REL