Unless Hamas returns Israeli hostages by noon on Saturday, Feb. 15, the ceasefire will expire and the Israel Defense Forces will resume fighting until it defeats Hamas totally, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday.
The statement by Netanyahu announcing the ultimatum followed remarks by US President Donald Trump on Monday, who also named Saturday, Feb. 15 at noon as the time after which “all hell will break loose” unless Hamas frees all hostages.
Netanyahu addressed Trump’s demand and credited him for his “revolutionary vision for the future of Gaza, which we all welcomed,” he said, referencing the security cabinet. Netanyahu’s ultimatum followed an “in-depth, four-hour discussion” by the cabinet, he wrote.
“We all expressed outrage at the shocking state of our three hostages who were freed last Saturday. We all also welcomed President Trump’s demand for the release of our hostages by noon on Saturday,” the prime minister wrote.
He has ordered the IDF to amass forces in and around the Gaza Strip “in light of Hamas’s statement about its decision to violate the [ceasefire] agreement,” Netanyahu said.
This action is being carried out and would be completed shortly, he added.
“Unless Hamas returns our hostages by noon on Saturday, the ceasefire will end and the IDF will resume intensive fighting until Hamas is totally defeated,” his statement concluded.
Sa’ar: Israel ready to resume fighting
During a meeting with European Union ambassadors in Israel on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar warned that Jerusalem would resume military actions in Gaza if Hamas does not release the hostages.
“We discussed today Hamas’s announcement of its intention to violate the framework for the release of the hostages. A decision by Hamas not to release the hostages is essentially a decision to return to war. So far, we have not taken any unilateral actions,” Israel’s top diplomat said.
FM Gideon Sa’ar to EU ambassadors: “If Hamas does not release the hostages, we will resume military operations and combat.”
He warned: “We are also prepared for a possible Hamas attack on Israel.” pic.twitter.com/ncrCl1ero0
— Zvika Klein צביקה קליין (@ZvikaKlein) February 11, 2025
“Anyone who watched the release of the hostages witnessed horrific scenes. What we saw last Saturday was severe—the released hostages had lost a significant amount of weight after being starved and tortured. There is evidence of this,” Sa’ar continued.
Sa’ar emphasized Israel’s commitment to securing the release of all hostages and achieving the war’s objectives, during a meeting on Monday with his Portuguese counterpart, Paulo Rangel, in Jerusalem.
“Over the weekend, I met with a woman who had been abducted and returned from captivity. She told me that her Hamas captors told her that they would return to Israel to continue the work they started on Oct. 7. They said they would return to destroy Israel. I make it clear that we are committed to the return of all our hostages and to achieving all the goals of the war,” Sa’ar said.
“Hamas has built a kingdom of terror in Gaza, and it wants to continue to survive—we cannot allow this. For over a year, the entire international community has been swept up in Hamas’ false propaganda about the ‘starvation’ in Gaza. But the pictures do not lie. Both the Hamas terrorists and Gaza residents look in perfectly good condition,” the minister continued.
“In contrast, the surviving Israeli hostages look like Holocaust survivors. They are the only ones who suffered from hunger and inhumane conditions. Hamas committed crimes against humanity. This evil must be erased!” Sa’ar concluded.
Rangel condemned the inhumane treatment of the hostages, referencing the disturbing scenes witnessed recently.
IDF bolsters forces at Gaza border
The Israel Defense Forces is increasing troop reinforcements and mobilizing reservists in the Southern Command following Hamas’s announcement that it would delay releasing hostages.
Describing the reinforcement as “extensive,” the IDF confirmed on Tuesday the deployment of additional brigades and special forces units to the Southern Command. These units will supplement the existing defenses provided by the 162nd Division and the Gaza Division along the Gaza border and the Philadelphi Corridor.
Several more brigades are on standby for potential deployment, and additional divisions are preparing for possible operations in Gaza, depending on how the situation unfolds.
The IDF emphasized that these measures are intended to prepare for a range of scenarios, particularly if the ceasefire-hostage agreement with Hamas collapses. Despite the heightened military activity, no changes have been made to civilian guidelines at this time, and the IDF maintains that it is fully prepared for “a variety of scenarios.”
Last week, the IDF redeployed from the Netzarim Corridor in central Gaza to outposts along the perimeter of the Strip as part of the implementation of the hostages-terrorists swap agreement with Hamas.
“Forces from 162nd Division, 143rd Division and 99th Division under the Southern Command have been deployed at several points in the Gaza Strip region to strengthen the defensive layer for the residents of the western Negev and the State of Israel,” the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said on Friday.
With reporting by JNS.
