Gaza, Feb 12, (V7N) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Tuesday that the ceasefire in Gaza, which has temporarily paused the war, will end this weekend unless Hamas releases the Israeli hostages it is holding. Netanyahu stated that if the hostages are not freed by Saturday at noon, the ceasefire will be terminated, and the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) will resume intense combat until Hamas is defeated.

Hamas recently announced it would stop releasing Israeli hostages due to alleged Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement, specifically claiming that Israel has been slow in allowing aid into Gaza. Israel denies these allegations.

The ceasefire agreement, brokered by Qatar, Egypt, and the U.S., initially called for Hamas to release 33 hostages while Israel was to release around 1,900 Palestinian prisoners. So far, Hamas has freed 16 hostages, but 17 remain captive, with Israel believing some of the hostages may be dead. Israel also announced that Holocaust survivor Shlomo Mansour, the oldest hostage, was killed by Hamas militants on October 7, 2023, during the initial attack on Israel.

Netanyahu’s comments have raised concerns that the fragile ceasefire agreement might collapse before the remaining hostages are freed. In response, the Israeli military has deployed additional forces and mobilized reservists in the south of the country.

A group representing families of the hostages urged Netanyahu to adhere to the agreement, emphasizing that the hostages should not be left to suffer further in captivity.

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