Israeli officials underlined on Wednesday that they are awaiting the release of Israeli hostages from Hamas captivity on Saturday and warned that “all hell will break loose” if that does not occur.
Israeli authorities have kept the exact number of hostages they expect to be released vague and have refused to disclose how many they want to see released at the weekend.
“We are putting maximum pressure on Hamas to see how they will respond,” one Israeli official told The Jerusalem Post.
Earlier, US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff similarly declined to specify how many hostages might be released, when asked about the expected events on Saturday.
“The president said all that we all need to know, which 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.
“Hamas is a terrorist organization. They should not be allowed to be part of the government in Gaza. This is an unhealthy situation; they need to go.”
Israeli officials have been closely coordinating their statements and responses with US counterparts over the past 24 hours, according to a source familiar with the matter.
“The objective of both countries is aligned: to secure the release of as many hostages as possible from Gaza,” the source stated.
Trump said Hamas must release all hostages
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’s statement on Tuesday 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.
“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.”
According to the original terms of Phase I of the hostage release and ceasefire agreement, three hostages are due to be released on Saturday.
Given Abu Zuhri’s statement that Hamas remains “committed” to the original hostage release schedule, it is likely that they intend to follow through with releasing three Israeli hostages.
Itamar Ben-Gvir, former national security minister, said “the Israeli government is on its way to another historic missed opportunity.”
“After receiving backing from President Trump to bring hell upon Gaza if Hamas does not release all the hostages, the government intends to settle for the release of only three hostages under a reckless deal that includes the release of hundreds of terrorist murderers from prison while continuing to supply fuel and aid to the Strip,” Ben-Gvir said on X/Twitter.
“A reckless deal; a frightened government,” he said.
In a statement, the White House said that during the meeting on Tuesday between Trump and King Abdullah of Jordan, the president said “Hamas must release all hostages, including all Americans, by Saturday, and asked for the king’s assistance in ensuring that Hamas, as well as the leaders of the region, understand the severity of the situation.”
On Wednesday, senior Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya and a Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo for talks with Egyptian officials regarding the “implementation of the ceasefire agreement,” according to a Hamas statement.
A senior Hamas official noted that the delegation’s discussions would focus on resolving the current crisis. A source told the Post that the mediators are optimistic about finding a compromise, with extensive negotiations taking place in Cairo.
Talks have also been held in Qatar, Egypt, and Israel, aiming to find the solution to the crises that would ensure the continuation of the deal.