Days of devastation may return to Gaza as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publically declared that the ceasefire with Hamas will cease to exist if Hamas fails to deliver Israeli hostages by Saturday afternoon. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) will pick up arms once again and not stop until Hamas was fully defeated, the Israeli Prime Minister warned.
The IDF is in the process of stationing men and equipment in and around Gaza, Netanyahu said, adding that "it will be completed in the very near future."
The Islamic Hamas group, who controlled Gaza ahead of the war, on Monday had said it would delay the release of Israeli hostages indefinitely over “violations” of the ceasefire deal. However, the armed group was forced to soften its stance on Tuesday after US President Donald Trump backed Israel and gave Hamas an ultimatum. Hamas went back to the stance that it was committed to the ceasefire deal, while claiming that Israel would be “responsible for any complications or delays.”
According to reports, three of the remaining 70-something Israeli hostages in Gaza were to be released by Saturday afternoon as per the ceasefire deal. But Tel Aviv sensed trouble following Hamas' statements on Monday and had asked IDF to brace for any situation in Gaza.
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Later on Tuesday, Netanyahu himself confirmed that IDF would resume military operations in Gaza if the hostages were not returned by Hamas. In a video address posted on his social media account, the Prime Minister reportedly said, “If Hamas does not return our hostages by Saturday noon – the ceasefire will end, and the IDF will return to intense fighting until Hamas is finally defeated.”
The White House completely backed its ally nation's decision to return to war. "If all the Gaza hostages aren’t returned by Saturday at 12 pm, I would say cancel the ceasefire," Trump told the press. While Trump wants all remaining hostages to be freed by Saturday, it remains unclear if Netayanhu also means the same or he would back down if Hamas frees the three hostages as per the existing deal. The Guardian said in a report that they tried to reach out to the Prime Minister's office for clarification on the same but received no response.
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It has been over three weeks since the guns fell silent in Gaza. Around 47,000 Palestinians and more than 1,700 Israelis have died in the conflict and displaced citizens have started returning to their original homes across the Strip. The threat of the fighting restarting may cause a major humanitarian disaster in the already depleted region.
