The fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is under renewed threat after Hamas announced it would indefinitely suspend hostage releases, citing Israeli violations of the agreement. The decision has drawn sharp condemnation from Israeli officials and prompted former President Donald Trump to declare that if all hostages are not released by Saturday, the ceasefire should be scrapped entirely.
In a statement posted to its official Telegram channel on Monday, Hamas accused Israel of failing to honor key terms of the truce, including allowing displaced Palestinians to return to northern Gaza and ensuring the delivery of humanitarian aid. The group insisted it had upheld its commitments and warned that further hostage releases—originally scheduled for February 15—would not proceed unless Israel made retroactive concessions, wrote The Jewish Chronicle.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz called Hamas’s decision a “blatant violation” of the ceasefire and ordered the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to remain on high alert. “We will not return to the horrors of October 7,” he declared, referencing the Hamas-led attack that resulted in the deaths of over 1,000 Israelis and the kidnapping of 251 individuals.
The latest developments have intensified pressure on international mediators striving to maintain the fragile ceasefire, which was brokered in mid-January and had led to the release of 21 hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. Israeli authorities report that 73 hostages remain in Gaza, with at least 34 confirmed dead.
Speaking at the White House on Monday, Trump warned that if Hamas failed to release all remaining hostages by noon on Saturday, the ceasefire should be abandoned, noted The Hill.
“If all of the hostages aren’t returned by Saturday at 12 o’clock—I think it’s an appropriate time—cancel it, and all bets are off. Let hell break loose,” he told reporters after signing a series of executive orders. Rejecting a gradual release, he added, “Not in drips and drabs. Not two, one, three, four. Saturday at 12 o’clock. After that, all hell is going to break out.” When pressed for clarification, Trump simply stated, “Hamas will find out what I mean.”
His comments come amid controversy over his proposal for the U.S. to assume control of Gaza and oversee its redevelopment, while relocating Palestinians to neighboring Arab nations such as Jordan and Egypt. The plan has faced widespread criticism from regional allies and further complicated diplomatic efforts to sustain the ceasefire.
President Trump on securing PEACE in Gaza: “The U.S. will take over the Gaza strip … and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous, unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site … create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing… pic.twitter.com/sr3rnO0fE4
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 5, 2025
Speaking alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, Trump framed his vision as both a humanitarian and economic imperative. “The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it too,” he asserted. “We’ll own it and be responsible” for removing mines in the war-ravaged enclave and transforming it into what he described as “the Riviera of the Middle East”—a phrasing that underscores his penchant for applying the logic of real estate development to global geopolitics.
