US President Donald Trump has threatened to cancel the Gaza ceasefire agreement, sparking concerns that Israel may resume fighting with Hamas. In a statement on Monday night, Trump said he would “cancel it” and that if there were no hostages released by Saturday, “all bets are off.” He added that the final decision would be up to Israel, and that they could override any US involvement.
Trump’s comments come after Israel denied allegations of violating the ceasefire deal. The group Hamas claims that Israeli actions are a major obstacle to releasing more hostages, and has vowed not to make any further prisoner releases until Israel complies with its obligations.
Israel’s security cabinet met on Tuesday morning to discuss negotiations on the second phase of the deal. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu endorsed Trump’s threat, saying that if Israeli hostages were not returned by Saturday, “the military will return to intense fighting” against Hamas.
The Israeli army has cancelled leave for soldiers in the Gaza division and increased reinforcements in the area, suggesting that Israel is preparing for a resumption of war. Demonstrations continued in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem as protesters demanded the return of all hostages.
Under the ceasefire agreement, hostage-detainee swaps are due to continue on a weekly basis until March 2. The second phase would see all remaining living hostages released and Israel withdraw from Gaza. However, talks on the second stage were supposed to begin last week but have been stalled.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/11/hamas-israel-hostages-trump-gaza-ceasefire