VIRGINIA ALLEN/
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued an ultimatum to Hamas on Tuesday: Release the remaining hostages who are alive by noon Saturday or the ceasefire agreement will end.
"If Hamas does not return our hostages by Saturday noon, the ceasefire will end, and the [Israel Defense Forces] will resume intense fighting until the final defeat of Hamas," Netanyahu said in a post on X Tuesday.
The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is in phase one of three phases. During phase one, 33 hostages are to be released. Among the 17 still waiting to be released during the first six weeks of the deal, nine are believed to be alive.
Netanyahu said his Security Cabinet met for four hours and made the decision to issue the ultimatum based upon the poor health of the three male hostages who were released on Feb. 8. All three of the men were very thin and weak upon their release.
Netanyahu said the decision to demand the release of the hostages by noon Saturday was "unanimous" among members of the Security Cabinet.
It is unclear if Netanyahu is demanding the release of all the living hostages still in Gaza or only the nine who are still expected to be released during the first phase of the ceasefire agreement.
The Israeli prime minister made the decree after Hamas announced on Monday the postponement of the next hostage release, which was expected Saturday. Hamas claimed that Israel had violated the terms of the ceasefire agreement.
Hamas says it remains committed to the ceasefire, but postponed Saturday's hostage release as a "warning" to Israel to uphold the terms of the deal.
A spokesperson for Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz called Hamas' action a "complete violation of the ceasefire agreement and the deal to release the hostages."
The prime minister's remarks come less than 24 hours after President Donald Trump declared that if all the hostages were not released by noon Saturday, "let hell break out."
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