Watan-The Israeli Security Cabinet (the “Cabinet”) adopted, during its session today, Tuesday, support for U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan regarding granting a deadline for the release of detainees until Saturday, as well as his vision for the future of the Gaza Strip, which includes the displacement of Palestinians from it.
Israeli media quoted a political official as saying that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed the Israeli army to prepare for any scenario in case Hamas does not release the detainees by next Saturday and called for reinforcing the military presence around the Gaza Strip.
In a video statement after the meeting, the Israeli Prime Minister said, “If our hostages are not released by noon on Saturday, the ceasefire will end, and we will return to intense fighting until Hamas is completely defeated.”
Israeli Cabinet Endorses Trump’s Ultimatum
A political source, quoting Netanyahu’s office, stated in a statement received by Israeli media that “Hamas has violated the agreement, and therefore, there will be no progress in continuing the implementation of the agreement or negotiations for the second phase without the return of our abductees. The Cabinet expects the release of all nine hostages in the first phase within a few days.”
The Cabinet meeting convened at noon on Tuesday to discuss managing the crisis surrounding the prisoner exchange deal with Hamas, following Hamas’ announcement of delaying the release of detainees who were supposed to be freed in the sixth batch next Saturday.
The meeting was initially scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. but was delayed by an hour due to security deliberations led by Netanyahu, which also ran beyond their scheduled time. Although the session was planned to discuss the delegation’s mandate for negotiations regarding the second phase, attendees were preoccupied with new developments casting doubt on the feasibility of completing the deal’s first phase.
Netanyahu Threatens Renewed Military Action
The Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom reported that Cabinet ministers were expected to examine ways to leverage what President Trump proposed last night, as he threatened to “open the gates of hell” if Hamas did not release all detainees by noon on Saturday.
This came after Hamas announced yesterday that it had indefinitely postponed the release of the sixth batch of prisoners due to Israel reneging on its commitments in the humanitarian protocol attached to the first phase of the exchange deal.
Meanwhile, the Ynet website reported that the Cabinet meeting would determine the extent of the authority granted to the Israeli delegation expected to discuss the second phase of the deal in Doha. Netanyahu is expected to push for “approval during this session of the Israeli conditions that his delegation will demand in Doha.”
On the other hand, Reuters quoted Hamas leader Sami Abu Zuhri earlier today responding to President Trump’s threat, saying that Trump should “remember that there is an agreement, and both parties must respect it. This is the only way to return the prisoners,” adding that “the language of threats will not be effective and will only complicate matters.”
Conversely, Einav Tsengauker, the mother of Israeli prisoner Matan, who is held by Hamas and was not included in the list of 33 prisoners for the first phase, stated that “even Trump is starting to understand that patience has run out.” She asked, “Where is Matan’s prime minister? And why does such a statement (Trump’s threat) have to come from the President of the United States in the first place?”
Hamas Delays Prisoner Release, Citing Israeli Violations
So far, the families of Israeli prisoners and their supporters continue to block Road No. 1, as well as “Rovien” Road inside occupied Jerusalem, where the Cabinet is holding its meeting.
The families demanded that Netanyahu “stop sabotaging the agreement and send a delegation to Doha with full authority to negotiate the second phase and bring back all the remaining detainees.”
They stated that Netanyahu “brought us a prolonged agreement after continuous months. It is now clear that he is acting out of political motives and calculations. He is not sending the delegation to Doha and is doing everything to sabotage the agreement.”
The families added, “We have heard the latest testimonies—our loved ones are going through hell in captivity and won’t hold out much longer. We demand that Netanyahu give the delegation full authorization to enter negotiations, declare his commitment to fully implementing the agreement this time, shorten the timelines, and bring everyone home immediately,” emphasizing that “you must get them out of hell.”
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