New Delhi

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has threatened an “intensified war” in Gaza if Hamas didn’t release its hostages in one go and by this Saturday midday. This stand comes after a four-hour meeting of his security cabinet.

In a video statement released on social media after the top security body of Israel held a meeting to review the Gaza Hostages-prisoners swap deal, Netanyahu said, “The ceasefire will be over and Israel will resume “intense fighting” in Gaza if Hamas doesn’t release all hostages by midday Saturday.If Hamas does not return our hostages by Saturday noon, the ceasefire will end, and the IDF will return to intense fighting until Hamas is finally defeated.”

he said," We are outraged by the shocking condition of our three released hostages. We welcome President Trump’s demand for their release by Saturday noon and his vision for Gaza’s future. Since Hamas is violating the agreement and refusing to release our hostages, I ordered the IDF to amass forces in and around Gaza. This operation is underway and will be completed soon."

Netanyahu’s statement follows US President’s demand that all the hostages with Hamas should be released soon. Netanyahu said the security cabinet “welcomed President Donald 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.

The meeting came a day after Hamas said it would delay Saturday’s hostage release until further notice due to what it claimed were “Israeli violations” of the truce.

Later on Tuesday evening, Hamas issued a statement claiming it was “committed to the ceasefire agreement that the (Israeli) occupation also committed to,” and asserting that Israel was “the party that did not abide by its commitments and is responsible for any complications or delays.”

However, Hamas did not say that it would release three hostages on Saturday as required by the deal.

Accoprding to Times of Israeli, official said that Jerusalem would not move forward with the hostage release-ceasefire deal unless Hamas released “all nine hostages… in the coming days.”

There are 17 hostages still set to return during the current first phase of the ceasefire, nine of whom are believed to be alive.

“Hamas violated the agreement,” this official said, “and therefore there will not be progress in continuing to carry out the agreement or in negotiations on the second stage without the return of our hostages.”

ALSO READ: From Kashmir to Kumbh: Ashraf Ali speaks of his divine experience

Meanwhile, the Israeli defence Forces have been asked to raise the level of readiness and postpone leave for combat soldiers and operational units in the Southern Command.