Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu has asserted that the ceasefire in Gaza would end if Hamas did not return hostages held in the enclave by noon on Saturday, February 15, 2025.
He said in a video statement that the military will return to “intense fighting until Hamas is finally defeated.”
Speaking after a four-hour cabinet meeting, the Israeli leader also said that he ordered Israeli troops to gather “inside and around the Gaza Strip.”
His comments came after Hamas said on Monday, February 10, 2025, said that it would not free any more captives until further notice, accusing Israel of violating the terms with several deadly shootings as well as hold-ups of some aid deliveries in Gaza.
On the other hand, Houthi leader, Abdulmalik al-Houthi said in a televised speech that Houthis rebels are ready to launch attacks on Israel if it resumes attacks on Gaza and does not commit to the ceasefire deal.
The Houthis had attacked Israeli and other vessels in the Red Sea, disturbing global shipping lanes, in what they said were acts of solidarity with Gaza’s Palestinians during Israel’s war on the territory.
The Houthis, who control most of western Yemen including the capital, have carried out more than 100 attacks on ships since November 2023.
They have targeted the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, which are joined by the narrow Bab al-Mandab strait, a chokepoint between the Horn of Africa and the Middle East.
UN’s Guterres Urges Against Resumption Of War
Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres said that the resumption of war in Gaza must be avoided “at all costs.”
In a post on X, he appealed to Hamas, which has suspended the next scheduled release of captives citing Israeli ceasefire violations, to “proceed with the planned liberation of hostages.”
The UN Chief added that both sides must fully abide by their commitments in the ceasefire agreement and resume serious negotiations.
Speaking to a news agaency, Abdullah al-Arian, Associate Professor of history at Georgetown University in Qatar noted that while the ceasefire deal “can still be salvaged if Israel adheres to its commitments”, he questioned whether there is the “political will” by the international community to hold it to account.
He said that there has been so many different violations, from the killings of Palestinians to the blocking of humanitarian aid and equipment needed for rescue and recovery efforts.
He added that “up to 110 Palestinians” in Gaza have been killed since the beginning of the ceasefire, “which completely negates even the concept of a ceasefire.”
Hamas, he said, likely calculated that one “can only continue to hold up [one’s] end of an agreement for so long” while the promised conditions are not met.
According to Akiva Eldar, an Israeli Political Analyst and Author from Tel Aviv, US President, Donald Trump’s unpredictability is adding to the deep sense of uncertainty over Gaza, especially after the US President said the ceasefire deal should be cancelled unless all captives are released on Saturday.
Trump has warned Palestinians that “hell will break loose” if Israeli captives are not released on Saturday as scheduled under the ceasefire.
Separately, senior Hamas official, Sami Abu Zuhri told a news agency that Trump must remember that the only way to bring home Israeli captives is to respect the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
“Trump must remember that there is an agreement that must be respected by both parties, and this is the only way to bring back the prisoners. The language of threats has no value and only complicates matters.”
Sami Abu Zuhri
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