Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Friday, February 14, 2025
From the Liveblog of
Friday, February 14, 2025
PM’s office declines to say whether upcoming release of 3 hostages means ceasefire will continue
Lazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
The Prime Minister’s Office declines to comment on whether the release of three hostages by Hamas on Saturday means that the ceasefire is continuing or not.
Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump said that “all hell is going to break out” if Hamas doesn’t release all the remaining hostages by Saturday. Israel also issued threats but was less clear on its red lines. Various statements demanded “our hostages,” nine hostages “in the coming days,” and “all of them,” or else Israel would return to war.
An Israeli official tells The Times of Israel that the strategy is deliberate. “There are some cases in which being vague is helpful,” says the official.
