The ceasefire between Hamas and Israel appeared increasingly fragile on Tuesday after US President Donald Trump warned that “all hell” would break loose unless Hamas releases all Israeli hostages by the weekend.
The truce, which has been in effect since January 19, had largely halted more than 15 months of conflict in the Gaza Strip. It saw the release of five groups of Israeli hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
Tensions rose, however, after Trump suggested taking control of Gaza and expelling its over two million inhabitants.
On Monday, he intensified the pressure by stating that he would call for an end to the ceasefire if all Israeli hostages were not freed by noon on Saturday. “If all of the hostages aren’t returned by Saturday 12 o’clock, I think it’s an appropriate time. I would say cancel it and all bets are off and let hell break out,” Trump said at the White House.
The ceasefire agreement outlined staggered releases to take place over the ongoing 42-day first phase of the deal.
Trump’s warning came hours after Hamas’s armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, said the next hostage release, scheduled for Saturday, would be “postponed until further notice.” The group accused Israel of failing to meet its commitments, including aid deliveries, and referenced the deaths of three Gazans on Sunday.
Hamas later stated the delay was announced five days in advance to give mediators time to push Israel into compliance.
“The door remains open for the prisoner exchange batch to proceed as planned, once the occupation complies,” Hamas said.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz described the Hamas move as a “complete violation” of the ceasefire agreement, hinting that fighting might resume.
“I have instructed the IDF (military) to prepare at the highest level of alert for any possible scenario in Gaza,” Katz stated.
The military later said it had raised “the level of readiness” and “decided to significantly reinforce the area.”
On Tuesday, Israeli far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a vocal opponent of the ceasefire, demanded the immediate release of all hostages, pushing for the slogan: “Everyone Now.”
Negotiators were scheduled to meet in Qatar to discuss the truce’s implementation, which remains unresolved.
Talks on the second phase of the truce were supposed to begin on day 16, but Israel had refused to send negotiators to Doha.
The Hostage and Missing Families Forum, a campaign group, said on Monday that it had “requested assistance from the mediating countries to help restore and implement the existing deal effectively.” On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Trump’s proposal to displace Gazans as “revolutionary,” striking a triumphant tone after returning from Washington.
The proposal, which the United Nations and experts have said would violate international law, has faced widespread criticism.
Trump also stated on Monday that he could “conceivably” stop aid to US allies Jordan and Egypt if they refuse to take in Palestinians as part of his controversial Gaza plan.
Trump is expected to meet Jordan’s King Abdullah II in Washington this week. The threat to withhold aid came after Egypt’s foreign ministry rejected “any compromise” on Palestinian rights, including the right to “remain on the land.”
Trump also told Fox News Channel’s Bret Baier that Palestinians would not have the right to return to Gaza.
“I’m talking about building a permanent place for them because if they have to return now, it’ll be years before you could ever — it’s not habitable,” Trump said regarding Gaza’s devastation.
Asked whether Palestinians would have the right to return, Trump responded, “No, they wouldn’t, because they’re going to have much better housing.”
For Palestinians, any attempt to force them out of Gaza would evoke painful memories of the “Nakba” or catastrophe, which refers to the mass displacement of Palestinians during Israel’s creation in 1948.
Despite Trump’s words, displaced Gazans began returning to their homes after Israeli forces withdrew from the Netzarim Corridor, which had split the territory in two.
US and Egyptian security personnel were present to inspect vehicles crossing the corridor. Gaza resident Ahmed al-Rai said, “It takes 20 minutes to inspect each vehicle,” noting he had to wait five hours for his turn.
The Gaza war was triggered by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack, the deadliest in Israel’s history, resulting in the deaths of 1,210 people, mostly civilians, according to official Israeli figures.
Hamas also took 251 hostages, of whom 73 remain in Gaza, with 34 confirmed dead, according to the Israeli military.
The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza reported at least 48,208 deaths in the territory due to the war.
AFP
