From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, February 11, 2025
Netanyahu says ‘intense fighting’ will resume in Gaza if hostages not released by Saturday
Lazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
Israel will resume “intense fighting” in Gaza if Hamas doesn’t release hostages by midday Saturday, says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a video statement after a four-hour security cabinet meeting, noting that Hamas “breached the deal” yesterday by announcing its decision “not to release our hostages.”
“If Hamas does not return our hostages by Saturday noon,” he says, “the ceasefire will end, and the IDF will return to intense fighting until Hamas is finally defeated.”
He does not specify how many hostages must be freed on Saturday. Three Israeli hostages are scheduled to be freed on Saturday under the terms of the deal. Accusing Israel of breaching the deal, Hamas announced yesterday it was suspending hostage releases until further notice.
US President Donald Trump yesterday called for all hostages to be released by Hamas by Saturday at noon.
Israeli statements today have taken care not to call for all 76 remaining hostages to be released by the weekend. An Israeli official said earlier that Hamas must release nine more hostages in the coming days.
The security cabinet, says Netanyahu “welcomed President Trump’s demand for the release of our hostages by Saturday noon, and we all also welcomed the president’s revolutionary vision for the future of Gaza.”
אם חמאס לא יחזיר את חטופינו עד שבת בצהריים – הפסקת האש תיפסק, וצה"ל יחזור ללחימה עצימה עד להכרעה סופית של החמאס pic.twitter.com/4Cx30kHGvN
— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) February 11, 2025
With Netanyahu by his side, Trump last week called for all Palestinians to be relocated from Gaza and for the US to take control of the rebuilding of the war-torn Strip after the fighting is over.
“We all expressed outrage at the shocking situation of our three hostages who were released last Saturday,” Netanyahu says, adding that he ordered IDF forces to deploy in greater numbers inside Gaza and on the border after Hamas announced that it was freezing future hostage releases.
