Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that the Gaza ceasefire will end at noon on Saturday unless Hamas releases hostages, following a similar ultimatum from US President Donald Trump.
Netanyahu issued the stark warning on Tuesday, stating that Israeli forces would "resume intensive fighting until Hamas is totally defeated" if the hostages are not freed by the deadline.
The announcement came after Trump declared on Monday that "all hell will break loose" if Hamas does not release the hostages by noon on Saturday.
The Israeli leader's statement followed what he described as an "in-depth, four-hour discussion" by his security cabinet.
Netanyahu has warned that the Gaza ceasefire will end at noon on Saturday unless Hamas releases hostages
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Netanyahu has ordered Israeli forces to amass troops inside and around the Gaza Strip in response to Hamas's statement about violating the ceasefire agreement.
The Israeli Prime Minister said this military build-up is currently being carried out and would be completed shortly.
The move comes as Netanyahu threatens "total defeat" for Hamas if the militant group fails to meet Saturday's deadline for releasing hostages.
The deployment was specifically ordered "in light of Hamas's statement about its decision to violate the [ceasefire] agreement," Netanyahu said.
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Photographs of some of those taken hostage by HamasGETTY
The announcement came after Trump declared on Monday that 'all hell will break loose' if Hamas does not release the hostages by noon on Saturday
REUTERSNetanyahu expressed outrage at the condition of three hostages who were freed last Saturday, though details of their state were not specified.
The Israeli Prime Minister also praised Trump's involvement, saying the security cabinet "all welcomed President Trump's revolutionary vision for the future of Gaza".
"We all also welcomed President Trump's demand for the release of our hostages by noon on Saturday," Netanyahu wrote in his statement.
Hamas has claimed it will delay releasing more hostages, saying Israel violated the three-week-old ceasefire deal by blocking vital humanitarian aid - an allegation Israel denies.
Hamas has claimed it will delay releasing more hostages
FlickrIt remains unclear whether Netanyahu's ultimatum demands the release of all 76 remaining hostages, or only the three who were scheduled to be freed this Saturday.
On Monday, Hamas announced it would postpone further hostage releases until further notice.
The militant group's statement about delaying releases came amid growing tensions over the implementation of the existing ceasefire agreement.
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