“If Hamas violate this agreement and do not release our hostages, the government has made clear that it has instructed our armed forces – and we have already amassed forces inside and surrounding Gaza – if Hamas does not return our hostages by Saturday noon the ceasefire will end and the IDF will resume intense fighting until the final defeat of Hamas,” Mencer said in a video press conference.
The Israeli government has signalled it intends to stick to the hostage release schedule agreed in the ceasefire deal with Hamas, but warned that if the anticipated three surviving hostages were not released on Saturday, it would go back to war in Gaza.
The statement from the prime minister’s office ends nearly three days of confusion following Donald Trump’s declaration that Israel should demand Hamas release all the remaining hostages, more than 70 people, by Saturday or failing that, end the ceasefire.
Earlier this week Hamas had suggested there might be an indefinite delay in the release of the next three hostages due to violations by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), but it backpedalled on that threat on Thursday and confirmed the timetable would remain on track.
“Hamas is a genocidal terrorist organisation and simply throwing their quotes at me reflects badly on you, frankly,” he said, adding that Israel would wait for the three freed hostages to reach Israeli territory before making a judgment.
