The ceasefire agreement in Gaza is in doubt, as Israel and Hamas are accusing each other of violating its terms.
Donald Trump further escalated the situation by threatening Hamas that if they do not release all hostages by Saturday, there will be “hell to pay.”
Hamas announced that it is indefinitely postponing the scheduled release of hostages on Saturday, accusing Israel of violating key terms of the agreement, including:
Hamas stated that it made this announcement five days before the scheduled release to give mediators time to pressure Israel into fulfilling its commitments.
What does Israel say?
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, echoing Trump, stated that if Hamas does not proceed with the release of the hostages, the IDF will continue fighting with “unrelenting intensity.”
Leave for soldiers serving in the “Gaza Division” has been canceled, and orders have been given to reinforce it, signaling that Israel is preparing for the resumption of large-scale attacks.
At the same time, the far-right finance minister has threatened to leave the government coalition if the war does not restart after the first phase, forcing Netanyahu to choose between maintaining the coalition or continuing the ceasefire.
“If they are not released, there will be hell to pay,” Trump said about the hostages, while not ruling out direct U.S. military involvement.
He reiterated his plan to relocate all Palestinians outside Gaza, a proposal that Hamas and much of the international community categorically reject.
He also stated that he could cut U.S. financial aid to Jordan and Egypt if they refuse his request to permanently accept the settlement of Gaza’s Palestinians.
In Tel Aviv, protesters have been on the streets for the past two days, demanding the return of the hostages, while their families accuse the government of sabotaging the agreement.
Additionally, videos showing the dire condition of some hostages at the time of their release have sparked outrage, but the condition of Palestinian prisoners being released from Israeli jails is equally bad.
