A senior Hamas official warned on Tuesday that Israeli hostages held in Gaza would only be freed if the current ceasefire is upheld, rejecting U.S. President Donald Trump's ultimatum to release them or face severe consequences.
Hamas has gradually released some hostages since the fragile ceasefire took effect on January 19, but the group has halted further releases, accusing Israel of violating the truce by continuing military operations in Gaza. Trump, a staunch ally of Israel, declared on Monday that Hamas must release all hostages by Saturday noon, or he would push for the cancellation of the ceasefire.
Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters that Trump must remember the existing agreement must be respected by both parties and that threats would only complicate matters.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed his government's determination to recover all hostages, both alive and deceased. He said Israel would continue taking decisive action until all hostages were returned, mourning the death of Shlomo Mansour, 86, whose body was taken to Gaza after being killed in the October 7 Hamas attack that triggered the war.
The attack, according to Israeli sources, killed around 1,200 people, and 250 hostages were taken to Gaza. The war has devastated Gaza, with over 48,000 Palestinians killed, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, and nearly all of its population displaced and facing a humanitarian crisis.
Trump’s remarks have intensified tensions in the region, especially his suggestion that the United States should take over Gaza, relocate its population of 2 million elsewhere, and transform it into the "Riviera of the Middle East."
His proposals have been met with strong opposition from Arab leaders. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi insisted that Gaza's reconstruction should happen without displacing Palestinians.
Similarly, newly appointed Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa condemned Trump’s idea, calling it a "serious crime that will ultimately fail."
Jordan’s King Abdullah II, set to meet Trump on Tuesday, is expected to firmly reject any forced displacement of Palestinians, which violates international law under the 1949 Geneva Conventions.
Israeli far-right ministers have advocated harsher measures against Hamas. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for cutting electricity, halting humanitarian aid, and "opening the gates of hell" on Hamas.
Similarly, MK Simcha Rothman of the Religious Zionism party urged the Israeli government to abandon the current hostage deal and resume full-scale military operations.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu's government is seeking another 90-day extension from Israel’s High Court of Justice before deciding on an official inquiry into the failures surrounding the October 7 attack. Critics, including the Movement for Quality Government in Israel, accused the government of "shirking responsibility."
As tensions escalate, UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged both sides to uphold the ceasefire, warning that a resumption of hostilities would lead to immense tragedy.
He appealed to Hamas to proceed with the planned liberation of hostages and called on both sides to fully abide by their commitments in the ceasefire agreement and resume serious negotiations.
With protests mounting outside Netanyahu's office in Jerusalem, demanding the return of hostages, Israel’s security cabinet is meeting to determine its next steps in the standoff.