Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel warned Hamas on Tuesday that if hostages were not released by noon on Saturday, the cease-fire in the war in the Gaza Strip would end and Israeli troops would resume “intense fighting.”
Mr. Netanyahu said that Hamas’s threat on Monday to postpone the next round of hostage releases amounted to a decision to violate the cease-fire agreement. While the threat was clear, Mr. Netanyahu did not specify how many hostages would have to be freed to stop a renewed war.
The prime minister’s office, when asked for clarity, declined to confirm how many hostages Mr. Netanyahu was referring to.
A Hamas spokesman also declined to comment.
Mr. Netanyahu’s statements closely echoed President Trump’s ultimatum on Monday evening to Hamas that said if all remaining Israeli hostages were not released from Gaza by 12 o’clock on Saturday, then the cease-fire agreement with Israel should be canceled and “all hell is going to break out.”
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