Israel to end Gaza ceasefire if hostages are not returned by Saturday

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that if the Israeli hostages held in Gaza were not returned by Saturday, the ceasefire with Hamas will be canceled, and Israel will resume "intensive fighting" in the war-torn enclave.

In a video statement, Netanyahu said the move was unanimously approved by his Cabinet ministers during a four-hour meeting held in the afternoon.

All of Israel's Cabinet ministers welcomed U.S. President Donald Trump's Gaza takeover plan and his ceasefire ultimatum, the prime minister added.

Following Netanyahu's ultimatum, Hamas said in a statement that "Israel has not fulfilled its commitments and bears full responsibility for any complications or delays," while reaffirming its commitment to the ceasefire as long as Israel abides by it.

Under the current ceasefire, which took effect on January 19 after 15 months of conflict, 21 hostages – 16 Israelis and five Thai nationals – have been released from Gaza in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian detainees freed from Israeli jails.

While the ceasefire allowed relief workers to expand services in Gaza, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday that Israeli military's deadly operations in the West Bank impeded the aid delivery. Netanyahu's remarks came a day after Hamas announced that the hostage handover scheduled for Saturday would be postponed until further notice.

On Monday, Abu Obeida, spokesman for the Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, said in a statement that during the past three weeks, the resistance leadership had monitored Israel's failures to abide by the terms of the ceasefire agreement.

Accordingly, the handover of the hostages will be postponed until further notice and until Israel ensures adherence to the deal and compensates for the past weeks retroactively, Obeida noted. "We affirm our commitment to the terms of the agreement as long as the occupation commits to them."

Trump also issued an ultimatum to Hamas on Monday, saying if all Israeli hostages were not released from Gaza by noon on Saturday, he would propose canceling the ceasefire agreement and letting "all hell break loose."

These developments came after an Israeli delegation returned from Qatar, where indirect talks were held regarding the next phase of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, and amid continuous regional and international outcry against Trump's and Netanyahu's recent remarks over Gaza.

On February 4, Trump announced a controversial plan to take over the Gaza Strip and relocate Palestinians from the enclave during a joint press conference with Netanyahu in Washington.

Two days later, Netanyahu suggested during an interview that "Saudis can establish a Palestinian state in Saudi Arabia; they have plenty of land there."

Reacting to Trump's and Netanyahu's remarks, many countries have voiced their rejection of displacing Palestinians from their homeland and their support for the two-state solution.

According to Niu Xinchun, professor at Ningxia University's China-Arab Research Institute, the hard-fought ceasefire is facing the biggest crisis since its implementation in January.

While acknowledging that both Israel and Hamas have traded blame for violating the ceasefire since its implementation, Niu said the U.S. takeover plan for Gaza is more critical in determining whether the crisis can be solved.

If the ceasefire implementation is aimed at eliminating Hamas, it would significantly reduce Hamas's incentive to follow through with the second phase, Niu said, adding that Israel's motivation to carry out this phase is waning, especially with U.S. support.

Regarding Hamas's announcement to postpone the release of the hostages on Monday, Niu sees this as a strategic move that aims to give Israel and the U.S. enough time to carefully consider the negotiations for the second phase and the post-war Gaza administration.

(With input from agencies)