Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Israel will resume fighting in Gaza if Hamas does not release all of its hostages by noon on Saturday, endorsing a threat by Donald Trump that would shatter the three-week-old ceasefire between the two sides.
Trump hosted King Abdullah of Jordan at the White House on Tuesday for a tense meeting, where the two were to discuss Trump’s plan to “take over” Gaza and expel the region’s more than two million Palestinians.
Israel will resume war in Gaza unless all hostages freed this week, says Netanyahu Ultimatum expiring at noon on Saturday appears to endorse earlier threat by Donald Trump.
The far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, who voted against the ceasefire deal and has threatened to bring down Netanyahu’s coalition if the country does not return to fighting when the first stage of the ceasefire ends, appeared to support Trump’s comments.
Earlier on Tuesday, Hamas derided Trump’s latest comments on the war in Gaza and reiterated its commitment to a diplomatic solution to the crisis.
