Israel is threatening to end the ceasefire and resume its assault on Gaza if Hamas fails to release Israeli prisoners on Saturday.
Hamas on Monday accused Israel of breaching the ceasefire agreement and said they wouldn’t participate in the sixth prisoner exchange at the weekend.
This prompted US President Donald Trump to yesterday threaten to resume the war if Hamas don’t release all remaining captives by Saturday.
Following Trump’s comments, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would declare an end to the ceasefire if Hamas refused to release captives and ordered the army to mobilise troops on the Gaza border.
Netanyahu didn’t specify how many prisoners he expects Hamas to free but Israeli reports say the security cabinet “partially” endorsed the US president’s comments for the release of all remaining captives.
Meanwhile, Egypt will attempt to persuade Trump to ditch his plan to occupy Gaza and expel its population by presenting its own plan to reconstruct the shattered territory.
“Egypt affirms its intention to present a comprehensive vision for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip in a manner that ensures the Palestinian people remain in their homeland,” the foreign ministry said on Wednesday following talks between Trump and Jordan’s King Abdullah in Washington.
