‘Will End Ceasefire If…’: Netanyahu After Hamas Accuses Israel Of Violating Hostage Deal

<p>Israel has threatened to end the ceasefire and resume &ldquo;intense fighting&rdquo;, if Hamas stops the release of hostages over Saturday. It has been three weeks since the ceasefire deal resumed, and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu&rsquo;s words echo the warning from US President Donald Trump that has strained the fragile truce deal.</p>
<p>According to CNN, so far, Hamas has released 16 out of 33 hostages scheduled for release in the current phase of the agreement, while Israel has freed 656 Palestinian prisoners from a list of nearly 2,000. Hamas accused Israel of violating the agreement and said it would postpone Saturday&rsquo;s hostage release &ldquo;until further notice&rdquo;.</p>
<p>Late Tuesday, Netanyahu said that the Gaza ceasefire will end if Hamas does not release hostages as planned on Saturday.</p>
<p>&ldquo;If Hamas does not return our hostages by Saturday noon – the ceasefire will end, and the IDF will return to intense fighting until Hamas is completely defeated,&rdquo; Netanyahu said in a video statement.</p>
<p>Hamas’s decision to delay the scheduled release this weekend led US President Donald Trump to suggest that Israel cancel the agreement entirely and “let hell break out” unless “all of the hostages” were returned by Saturday.</p>
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<p>According to BBC, following a four-hour meeting of Israel’s security cabinet on Tuesday, Netanyahu said in a video statement that he “welcomed President Trump’s demand.”</p>
<p>He added: “In light of Hamas’s announcement regarding its decision to violate the agreement and not release our hostages, last night I instructed the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] to amass forces inside and surrounding the Gaza Strip”.</p>
<p>Tensions, which initially escalated after Trump proposed last month to take over Gaza and remove its more than two million inhabitants, have intensified following his latest remarks. “As far as I’m concerned, if all of the hostages aren’t returned by Saturday 12 o’clock… I would say cancel it, and all bets are off&mdash;let hell break out,” Trump said on Monday.</p>