Netanyahu is threatening to end the ceasefire if Hamas does not release hostages
The Hamas-U.S. Deal to Resolve the Conflict Between the Palestinians and the West Bank: Israelis, Israel, and the United States
Hamas announced that it was postponing the release of hostages after Donald Trump said in a Fox News interview that Palestinians would not be allowed to return to Gaza.
President Trump’s plans to have the U.S. take over Gaza and relocate the nearly 2 million Palestinians elsewhere have invited the ire of Hamas’ leadership in Gaza and the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, as well as rejection from regional leaders and many U.S allies.
Abu Obeida, the military spokesman for Hamas’ Al-Qassam Brigades, accused Israel of violating the terms of the deal. He said Israel is “delaying the return of the displaced to the northern Gaza Strip, targeting them with shelling and gunfire in various areas of the Strip, and not allowing relief supplies of all kinds to enter as agreed upon.”
Netanyahu said that the military had been instructed to “Amass forces inside and around the Gaza Strip.” The Israeli military said it was sending additional troops and calling up reservists to the area.
So far 16 Israeli hostages have been released in this deal, in exchange for more than 670 Palestinian prisoners and detainees freed from Israeli jails. Five Thai hostages were also released. They had worked as agricultural laborers in Israel, but weren’t part of the deal.
The first phase of the ceasefire was agreed to by Netanyahu and Steve Witkoff, a special envoy for Trump in the Middle East.
If Israel doesn’t go to war in the Gaza area, Israel’s far-right allies will bring down the government.
Hamas has long accused Netanyahu of creating obstacles in the deal. Netanyahu and his allies have, in turn, accused Hamas of demanding changes to agreements already made.
The United States has been helping with the mediation, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio is due to travel to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab dirck this week, the State Department said.
The Gaza Enclave is Demonstrated by the State of Emergency Medical Services (PEMS) in the Light of General Relativity
More than 47,000 Palestinians and 1,200 Israelis have died in the conflict in Gaza, according to officials in the enclave.
Israel threatened to restart warfare with Hamas in Gaza if the group doesn’t release hostages by this weekend.
Netanyahu added that he welcomed President Trump’s remarks Monday demanding the release of hostages by Saturday, “as well as his revolutionary vision for Gaza’s future.”
Hamas says Israel has not permitted temporary shelters, tents, debris removal equipment and fuel necessary for the ceasefire agreement into the enclave. Israel has control of aid entering the Gaza Strip.
Thousands of Palestinians have poured north in Gaza after the ceasefire began Jan. 19, many on foot, returning to houses and apartment buildings that have been destroyed in fighting that has seen over 47,000 Palestinians killed, according to Gaza health authorities.