SANN News
Hamas has been given a deadline by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to free Israeli hostages by Saturday noon. He said that Israel will end the present truce and resume “intense” military operations in Gaza if they didn’t cooperate. Accusing Israel of breaking the agreement by blocking displaced Palestinians from returning to northern Gaza, limiting the delivery of humanitarian aid, and postponing talks for the second phase of the ceasefire, Hamas has released 21 captives in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners detained in Israeli jails but has threatened to stop further exchanges.
The announcement comes after Netanyahu and his ministers unanimously agreed to relaunch a full-scale assault in Gaza if Hamas fails to fulfill the deadline during a four-hour Security Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
President Donald Trump made a similar demand on Monday, which was reflected in the ultimatum. King Abdullah II of Jordan reaffirmed his categorical opposition to the forcible relocation of Palestinians, referring to it as a “unified Arab position.” Following a cross-border Hamas attack in October 2023 that killed around 1,200 people and captured 250 more, Israel began its military campaign in Gaza.
