The ceasefire between Hamas and Israel grew increasingly unstable on Tuesday after U.S. President Donald Trump warned of severe consequences unless Hamas released all Israeli hostages by the weekend.
The truce, in effect since January 19, had largely halted more than 15 months of conflict in Gaza and facilitated the release of five groups of Israeli hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
Tensions escalated after Trump proposed taking control of Gaza and relocating its more than two million residents. On Monday, he intensified pressure, stating that he would push for an end to the ceasefire if all Israeli hostages were not freed by noon on Saturday.
“If all of the hostages aren’t returned by Saturday at 12 o’clock, I’d say cancel it—let all bets be off and let hell break loose,” Trump said at the White House.
The ceasefire agreement stipulates a phased release of hostages over an initial 42-day period. However, just hours before Trump’s warning, Hamas’s armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, announced a postponement of the next planned hostage release, originally set for Saturday.
Hamas accused Israel of failing to uphold its obligations, including delivering promised aid, and cited the deaths of three Gazans on Sunday as a key factor in its decision. It later stated that the delay was announced in advance to allow mediators time to push Israel to comply.
“The door remains open for the prisoner exchange to proceed as planned, once the occupation meets its commitments,” Hamas said.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz condemned Hamas’s move as a “complete violation” of the ceasefire and signaled that hostilities could resume.
“I have instructed the IDF to prepare at the highest level of alert for any possible scenario in Gaza,” Katz said. The military later announced it had raised its readiness and was reinforcing forces around Gaza.
On Tuesday, Israeli far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a vocal opponent of the ceasefire, called for the immediate release of all hostages under the slogan: “Everyone Now.”
Meanwhile, negotiators were scheduled to meet in Qatar to discuss the ceasefire’s implementation, which remains uncertain. Talks on a second phase were supposed to begin on day 16 of the truce, but Israel has so far refused to send negotiators to Doha.
The Hostage and Missing Families Forum campaign group called on mediating countries to ensure the existing deal is upheld.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Trump’s proposal to relocate Gazans as a “revolutionary” idea upon returning from Washington, despite widespread international condemnation. The United Nations and legal experts have said such a move would violate international law.
Trump further suggested he might cut aid to U.S. allies Jordan and Egypt if they refuse to take in Palestinians under his Gaza plan. He is set to meet with Jordan’s King Abdullah II in Washington this week.
Cairo firmly rejected any plan that compromises Palestinian rights, while Trump told Fox News that displaced Gazans would not have the right to return, stating, “They’re going to have much better housing.”
For Palestinians, any forced displacement recalls the “Nakba” or catastrophe of 1948, when hundreds of thousands were displaced during Israel’s creation.
Despite the political tensions, displaced Gazans have begun returning to their homes following the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Netzarim Corridor, which had bisected the territory. U.S. and Egyptian security teams have been inspecting vehicles crossing the corridor, leading to long wait times.
The conflict was reignited by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel—the deadliest in the country’s history—which killed 1,210 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli figures. Hamas militants also took 251 hostages; 73 remain in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.
According to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, at least 48,208 people have been killed in the territory since the war began.
