Abdelrahman
Title: Netanyahu Issues Ultimatum to Hamas Over Hostage Releases Amid Cease-Fire Tensions
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a stark warning to Hamas on Tuesday, affirming that the ongoing cease-fire concerning the conflict in the Gaza Strip would be terminated if hostages are not released by noon on Saturday. He stated that Israeli forces would resume "intense fighting" should Hamas fail to comply.
Netanyahu emphasized that Hamas’s recent claim to delay the next wave of hostage releases is tantamount to breaching the cease-fire agreement. Although the implications of this threat were clear, he did not specify the exact number of hostages whose release would be necessary to prevent renewed hostilities.
When pressed for further details, the prime minister’s office refrained from clarifying how many hostages he was addressing.
His remarks echoed the ultimatum made by President Trump the previous evening, which warned Hamas that failure to secure the release of all remaining Israeli hostages by Saturday noon would invalidate the cease-fire agreement, leading to severe consequences.
Initially, the terms of the cease-fire included the release of three Israeli hostages this week as part of a broader hostage-for-prisoner exchange following the outbreak of conflict that began with Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Historically, these exchanges have predominantly taken place on Saturdays.
So far, 16 out of 33 Israeli hostages designated for release in the initial phase of the cease-fire have been freed. Furthermore, approximately 60 additional hostages, some of whom are feared to be deceased, are scheduled for release in the subsequent phase of the agreement later this spring.
