Tensions exploded Friday as Hamas announced a delay in the scheduled release of Israeli hostages, citing alleged Israeli violations of the ceasefire. The move triggered immediate backlash from Israeli officials, with Defense Minister Israel Katz calling it a “complete violation” of the agreement.
With three hostages set for release on Saturday in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, the last-minute disruption raised fears of renewed violence. Key Israeli ally, former U.S. President Donald Trump, weighed in with a stark ultimatum: all hostages must be freed by Saturday—or else.
“I’d say they ought to be returned by 12 o’clock… all of them, not in dribs and drabs,” Trump declared, adding ominously, “If not, all hell is going to break out.” Pressed on whether he meant Israeli retaliation, he responded, “You’ll find out. Hamas will find out.”
As the standoff escalated, the Israeli military was placed on high alert. “We will not allow a return to October 7,” Katz vowed, referencing Hamas’s deadly attack that killed 1,200 Israelis and saw 251 taken hostage.
The latest twist comes amid growing unrest. In Tel Aviv, protesters rallied for the release of hostages, marking the 24th birthday of captive Alon Ohel—his second in captivity. “They should have been out months ago,” one protester said, blasting both Hamas and the Israeli government for delays.
Hamas insists Israel is the one violating the truce, accusing it of restricting aid and blocking displaced Palestinians from returning to northern Gaza. Meanwhile, the militant group has not acknowledged Trump’s fiery remarks, though they follow his controversial proposal for U.S. involvement in Gaza’s redevelopment—an idea Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu called “revolutionary.”
Since the ceasefire began on January 19, Hamas has released 16 Israeli and five Thai hostages in exchange for 566 Palestinian prisoners. By the end of the first stage of the truce, 33 hostages and 1,900 prisoners are expected to be freed—though eight of those hostages are already dead.
Hamas’s October 7 attack plunged the region into chaos, with Israel’s retaliatory campaign killing at least 48,000 Palestinians, according to Hamas-run health officials. Now, with the hostage deal hanging by a thread and threats of war looming, the fragile ceasefire may be reaching its breaking point.
