Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened Tuesday evening to end the Gaza ceasefire deal if Hamas failed to release captives by Saturday noon.
"If Hamas does not return our hostages by noon on Saturday, the ceasefire will be terminated, and the Israeli army will return to intense fighting until Hamas is finally defeated," Netanyahu said in a video statement after a four-hour security cabinet meeting.
The Israeli premier said that he instructed the army "to mobilize forces inside and around the Gaza Strip."
The threat came one day after Hamas said that it would delay the next hostage release in response to Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement.
Local Palestinian authorities have listed a series of Israeli violations of the deal, including the shooting of civilians and denying access to relief materials, including tents and caravans for displaced civilians in Gaza.
