Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has threatened to renew Israel’s attacks on the Gaza Strip, drawing fear among Palestinians and condemnation from world leaders. On Tuesday, Netanyahu delivered this ultimatum to Hamas.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: “The decision that I passed unanimously in the Cabinet is this: If Hamas does not return our hostages by Saturday noon, the ceasefire will end, and the military will return to intense fighting until Hamas is finally defeated.”
Netanyahu’s threat comes after repeated Israeli violations of the terms of its ceasefire deal with Hamas. Gaza’s Health Ministry said Tuesday that 92 Palestinians have been killed and 822 wounded in “direct targeting” by the Israeli military since January 19, when the ceasefire came into effect. And Palestinians say Israel has granted access to just a small fraction of the humanitarian aid and fuel it pledged to allow into Gaza. On Tuesday, the United Nations estimated more than $53 billion will be required to rebuild Gaza and end its humanitarian catastrophe.