With ceasefire in question, Israel orders to beef up troops around Gaza

Netanyahu also ordered officials to prepare for every scenario if Hamas doesn't release hostages this Saturday

An Israeli official says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the army to beef up troops in and around the Gaza Strip after Hamas threatened to call off a scheduled hostage release on Saturday.

The official said Netanyahu also ordered officials to prepare for every scenario if Hamas doesn't release our hostages this Saturday. 

 

The preparation plans come after Netanyahu met with his Security Cabinet for four hours on Tuesday to discuss Hamas' threat, which has put the fragile ceasefire agreement in danger.  "In light of Hamas' announcement of its decision to violate the agreement and not release our hostages, last night I ordered the IDF to gather forces inside and around the Gaza Strip," Netanyahu said, speaking after a meeting of his security cabinet. "This operation is being carried out at this time. It will be completed in the very near future," he said in a statement.  "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," Netanyahu said.

 

Under the ceasefire, Hamas has released 21 hostages in a series of exchanges for Palestinian prisoners. But it said Monday it was delaying the next release of three more hostages after accusing Israel of failing to allow enough aid into Gaza under the deal.

President Donald Trump has said Israel should cancel the entire ceasefire if all of the roughly 70 hostages held by Hamas aren't freed by Saturday.

The Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss a closed-door meeting, was not clear if Netanyahu's order referred to all hostages, or the three scheduled for release on Saturday.