Israel has threatened to resume “intense fighting” in Gaza if captives are not released this weekend, while Hamas insists it remains committed to the ceasefire deal and accuses Israel of violating it.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “If Hamas does not return our hostages by Saturday noon, the ceasefire will end, and the IDF [Israeli military] will resume intense fighting until Hamas is decisively defeated.”
His threat echoed that of US President Donald Trump who on Monday said “hell” would break loose if Hamas failed to release “all” Israeli captives by Saturday.
A Hamas official quoted by Reuters news agency said the captives could be brought home only if the ceasefire was respected, dismissing the “language of threats” by Trump.
“Trump must remember there is an agreement that must be respected by both parties, and this is the only way to bring back the prisoners. The language of threats has no value and only complicates matters,” senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said.
The possibility of a resumption of fighting in Gaza has triggered wide-scale condemnation and fear among Palestinians. In Israel’s 15-month attack on Gaza, at least 48,219 Palestinians have been confirmed killed and 111,665 wounded, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health.
The Gaza Government Media Office has updated the death toll to at least 61,709 because about 14,000 missing people trapped under the rubble of Gaza’s buildings are now presumed dead.