Hamas said it planned to delay the release of three hostages after accusing Israel of not complying with the ceasefire terms, such as not allowing the agreed amount of humanitarian aid to Gaza to enter.
Amid escalating tensions, U.S. President Donald Trump encouraged Israel to demand the release of more hostages by Saturday, ahead of the ceasefire agreement schedule.
After meeting with King Abdullah II of Jordan at the White House, Trump predicted that Hamas would not release the remaining hostages as he had demanded.
"I don't think they're going to meet the deadline, personally," he commented on Hamas. "They want to act tough. We'll see how tough they are."
Since the ceasefire came into effect, Hamas has released 21 hostages in five exchanges for over 730 Palestinians imprisoned in Israel. A second phase requires the return of all remaining hostages and an indefinite extension of the truce. However, Trump's statements regarding the pending releases and plans for Gaza after the war have destabilized the ceasefire.
It was not clear at the moment whether Netanyahu's threat referred to the three hostages scheduled to be released on Saturday or to all captives still in Gaza, which would alter the terms of the ceasefire. Netanyahu's office said it "welcomed President Trump's demand."