Israel’s security cabinet fully endorses President Trump’s ultimatum: Hamas must release all hostages by Saturday at noon, or face severe consequences, according to an Israeli official. 

This decision follows a Tuesday meeting of Israel’s security cabinet convened by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after Hamas announced a delay in hostage releases.

“Our cabinet’s unanimous decision is clear: If Hamas fails to return our hostages by Saturday noon, the ceasefire ends, and the IDF will resume full-scale military operations until Hamas is decisively defeated,” Netanyahu stated.

“Following Hamas’s breach of the agreement, I ordered the IDF to mobilize forces within and around Gaza. This deployment is underway and will conclude promptly,” Netanyahu added.

“We also applaud the President’s forward-thinking vision for Gaza’s future,” Netanyahu said.

Trump warned Monday that failure by Hamas to return all hostages by Saturday at noon would result in the ceasefire’s termination and a resumption of hostilities.  

“If all Gaza hostages aren’t freed by Saturday at 12 p.m., I’d say cancel the ceasefire,” Trump declared from the Oval Office. “Let all hell break out; Israel can override it.” 

Trump insisted on the release of all hostages, not a phased approach.  

“Saturday at 12 p.m., and after that, I would say, all hell is going to break out,” Trump stated.   

Trump reiterated this demand on Tuesday, expressing confidence in Hamas’s compliance.

A Hamas spokesperson announced Monday a postponement of the next planned hostage release, citing Israeli ceasefire violations. 

“For three weeks, the resistance leadership has observed the enemy’s breaches, including delays in returning displaced persons to northern Gaza, continued shelling and gunfire, and the denial of agreed-upon aid supplies. The resistance, however, has fulfilled its obligations,” stated Abu Obeida, spokesperson for Hamas’s military wing.  

Israel and Hamas are currently observing a six-week ceasefire, under which Hamas agreed to release 33 hostages captured during its October 7, 2023 attack, in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. 

Five prisoner exchanges have occurred since the ceasefire began last month, freeing 21 hostages and over 730 Palestinian prisoners. The next exchange, planned for next Saturday, involves three more Israeli hostages for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. 

’ Yael Rotem-Kuriel, Brooke Singman, Danielle Wallace, Yonat Friling and