The fragile ceasefire between Hamas and Israel faced a major setback as former U.S. President Donald Trump warned that he would push for its cancellation unless all Israeli hostages were freed by Saturday.
The truce, which began on January 19, had paused over 15 months of fighting and facilitated multiple hostage exchanges.
Trump declared that if Hamas did not release the hostages by noon on Saturday, “all bets are off, and let hell break out.” His remarks followed Hamas’s announcement that the next scheduled hostage release would be postponed due to Israel allegedly failing to meet its commitments under the agreement.
Israel’s Defence Minister, Israel Katz, condemned Hamas’s actions as a “complete violation” of the ceasefire and instructed the military to raise its readiness around Gaza. Meanwhile, far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich demanded the immediate release of all captives, adopting the slogan: “Everyone Now.”
Amid the rising tensions, negotiators were set to meet in Qatar to salvage the truce. However, disagreements remain over the second phase of the deal, with Israel refusing to send its negotiators to Doha.
Trump further escalated controversy by proposing the displacement of Gaza’s more than two million inhabitants, a plan widely condemned as a violation of international law. He also suggested halting aid to Jordan and Egypt if they refuse to accept Palestinians under his proposal.
Despite the uncertainty, displaced Gazans returned to their homes after Israeli forces withdrew from the Netzarim Corridor. The ongoing conflict, which began with Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack, has left at least 48,208 people dead in Gaza, according to Hamas-run health authorities.
