Hamas signals it will release three hostages as Israel vows maximum pressure

Senior Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri spoke to Al Jazeera on Wednesday evening and stated that Hamas is "committed" to implementing the previously agreed schedule of the hostage deal and that they will not release "all" Israeli hostages on Saturday.

Abu Zuhri's comments likely came as part of a larger statement to Al Jazeera regarding Hamas's views towards the potential breakdown of the ceasefire agreement.

Earlier on Wednesday, Defense Minister Israel Katz warned that if Hamas does not release the Israeli hostages by Saturday, all hell will break loose.

This referenced US President Donald Trump when he said, "If all the Gaza hostages aren't returned by Saturday at 12 p.m., I would say cancel the ceasefire. Let all hell break loose; Israel can override it," on Tuesday.

"But as far as I'm concerned... I would say cancel it, and all bets are off," he added. "All of them, not in drips and drabs, not two and one and three and four and two," Trump added.

Israeli officials reiterated Wednesday that they are awaiting the release of Israeli hostages from Hamas’s captivity on Saturday, warning that "all hell will break loose" if that does not occur.

However, Israeli authorities have kept the exact number of hostages vague and have refused to disclose how many hostages they expect Hamas to release over the weekend. 

“We are putting maximum pressure on Hamas to see how they will respond,” one Israeli official told The Jerusalem Post.

Earlier on Wednesday, US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff similarly refrained from specifying how many hostages might be released when asked about the expected events on Saturday. 

“The president said all that we all need to know is Saturday, 12 o’clock. He expects there to be something different occurring, and if it’s not, there’s going to be a big problem,” Witkoff said.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Jordanian King Abdullah said that Gaza should be rebuilt without displacing Palestinians, Egypt's presidency said in a statement reporting a phone call between the two on Wednesday.

The two countries expressed their comittment to their unity on this issue and stressed the need to fully implement the existing ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, Egyptian presidential spokesperson Mohamed El-Shenawy said in a statement.

The two leaders also expressed a shared interest in working closely with US President Donald Trump to "achieve lasting peace in the Middle East." The two said part of this process would be to create a Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital. 

U.S. President Donald Trump and Jordan's King Abdullah shake hands, after their meeting, at the White House in Washington, U.S., February 11, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/KEVIN LAMARQUE)

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Jordanian King Abdullah said that Gaza should be rebuilt without displacing Palestinians, Egypt's presidency said in a statement reporting a phone call between the two on Wednesday.

US President Donald Trump has continued to push for a plan to resettle the Palestinian population to both Egypt and Jordan, a proposal both countries have rejected repeatedly.

If Hamas does not release the Israeli hostages by Saturday, all hell will break loose, exactly as US President Donald Trump promised, Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday.

"The new Gaza war will be different in intensity from the one before the ceasefire – and it will not end without Hamas’ defeat and the release of all the hostages."

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) released a statement on Wednesday, calling for "parties to maintain the ceasefire so that these crucial efforts can continue."

"All of the remaining hostages need to be released," ICRC stated.

"People in Gaza need respite from violence and humanitarian aid. This all depends on the continuation of the ceasefire agreement." ICRC added.

"Hundreds of thousands of lives depend on it." ICRC concluded

US President Donald Trump told King Abdullah of Jordan that Hamas must release all hostages, including all Americans, by Saturday and asked for the King's assistance in ensuring that Hamas and leaders of the region understand the severity of the situation, the White House said Wednesday.

Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff stated that Hamas is a terrorist organization that should not be allowed to be part of the government in any part of Gaza. "This is an unhealthy situation. They need to go," Witkoff added.

"Donald Trump said everything we need to know; Saturday, 12:00," Witkoff concluded, referring to the deadline by Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for Hamas to return all hostages.

The mother of hostage Matan Angrest said the family received confirmation from released hostages that he is alive, speaking in an interview with Walla on Wednesday.

“We received a sign of life from the returned hostages. He seems to be injured and is being held under difficult conditions,” his father, Hagai Engerst, said.

“We are worried and hope the prime minister will expedite the second stage and bring him home,” his father urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“Every second, there is a tangible danger to life. We saw the survivors of the October 7 massacre who were released, and in some cases, had they remained in captivity for another week, they might not have returned. His situation is even more challenging—he is a soldier. The responsibility for government crimes rests with Hamas; the responsibility for shortening the time frame and moving to the second phase rests with the prime minister,” he said.

Hamas kidnapped Matan, a soldier from a tank unit, alongside his fellow soldiers Itai Chen, Daniel Peretz, and Tomer Leibovitz, who were all killed in battle. Their bodies were also taken into Gaza. According to the Hostages’ and Missing Families Forum, Matan was critically injured when he was captured.

 Egypt and Qatar are intensifying efforts to save the Gaza ceasefire deal, state-affiliated Egypt's Al Qahera news TV reported on Wednesday, citing an Egyptian source.

The ceasefire has looked increasingly fragile since Hamas said this week it was postponing the release of any more Israeli hostages held in Gaza, accusing Israel of violating the terms of the ceasefire agreement.

US President Donald Trump has warned Palestinians that "hell will break loose" if Israeli hostages are not released on Saturday. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel will resume "intense fighting" if Hamas does not meet the deadline.

Egyptian sources told Reuters that Qatar and Egypt were in discussions with Hamas and Israel to prevent the cancellation of the ceasefire deal and to ensure its completion.

A Hamas delegation has arrived in Cairo to continue ceasefire talks, the Palestinian terrorist group said in a statement.

The armed wing of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which has been holding Israeli hostages since October 7, said on Wednesday that the fate of those hostages was tied to the actions of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"The only way to retrieve hostages and for stability to come back is through a swap deal," the group's spokesperson said on Telegram.