Netanyahu welcomes Trump hostage deadline, threatens return to Gaza war

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday threatened to withdraw from his country's ceasefire with Hamas and resume “intense fighting” in Gaza if the militant group does not release more hostages by midday Saturday.

Netanyahu's warning followed President Donald Trump's threat in recent days to let “all hell break out” in Gaza, after the Hamas reiterated Tuesday that it would indefinitely postpone the next round of hostage-prisoner swap scheduled for Saturday. The Palestinian organization has accused Israel of violating terms of their three-week-old ceasefire.

After a four-hour-long emergency meeting with Israel's security cabinet Tuesday afternoon, Netanyahu said he had received unanimous support to mass Israeli troops in and around Gaza.

“If Hamas does not return our hostages by Saturday noon — the ceasefire will end and the [Israel Defense Forces] will return to intense fighting until Hamas is finally defeated,” he said in a video statement following the meeting.