On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump issued a strong warning to Hamas, stating that Israel will be free to cancel the ceasefire agreement in Gaza if all the remaining captives held in the Gaza Strip are not released by noon on Saturday.
“If all the Gaza hostages aren’t returned by Saturday at 12 p.m., I would say cancel the ceasefire. Let all hell break loose,” Trump said, adding, “Israel can override it.”
Trump’s remarks came shortly after Hamas posted an announcement on its Telegram account, revealing that the planned release of hostages scheduled for February 15 had been suspended indefinitely due to what it described as an Israeli “violation” of the ceasefire terms.
Following the announcement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held consultations with top security officials and rescheduled a cabinet meeting originally set for Tuesday evening to take place on Tuesday morning instead.
In its statement, Hamas described the delay in releasing hostages as a “warning” to Israel and mediating nations, aiming to pressure Israel into strict adherence to the ceasefire agreement.
The terror group accused Israel of failing to fulfill key obligations, citing alleged violations of the ceasefire deal, including delays in allowing displaced Palestinians to return to northern Gaza, the use of live fire to deter Gazans from approaching the Israeli border or army positions, and failure to deliver the agreed upon quantities of humanitarian aid.
“Over the last three weeks, the leadership of the resistance has monitored the enemy’s violations and non-compliance with the terms of the agreement. From delaying the return of displaced persons to northern Gaza Strip and attacking them by shelling and shooting in various areas of the Strip, to not bringing aid equipment in all its forms as agreed, while the resistance has fulfilled all its commitments,” a Hamas spokesperson stated.
In response, the Israeli government issued a statement: “The terrorist organization is responsible for the violations. Members of the delegation who returned from Qatar this morning stated that Hamas’s actions jeopardize the continuation of the deal.”
Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz also condemned Hamas’s decision, saying: “Hamas’s announcement that it will halt the release of Israeli hostages is a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement. I have instructed the IDF to maintain the highest level of readiness for any possible scenario in Gaza and to ensure the defense of communities near the border. We will not allow a return to the reality of October 7th.”
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