US supports Israel amid uncertainty in hostage standoff
US President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that although Hamas has released three more hostages, they have not yet freed all those kidnapped. In this situation, Israel will have to decide its course of action regarding Hamas, and the US will support any decision made by that country, Trump added.
"Hamas has just released three Hostages from GAZA, including an American Citizen. They seem to be in good shape! This differs from their statement last week that they would not release any Hostages. Israel will now have to decide what they will do about the 12:00 O’CLOCK, TODAY, DEADLINE imposed on the release of ALL HOSTAGES. The United States will back the decision they make!" Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.
Hamas, governing the Gaza Strip, earlier announced a halt to the exchange of hostages, accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire conditions. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that failing to release the hostages by noon on Saturday would mean breaking the truce and resuming fighting. Despite this, Hamas released three Israelis, and Israel released 369 Palestinians.
Netanyahu's unclear message
Netanyahu's statements were interpreted differently by Israeli media and officials. His words might have referred to the three hostages planned to be released on Saturday, or to all hostages, who are to be released in the ongoing first phase of the truce (in addition to the released three, six more people are to be freed).
In the broadest interpretation, his words would concern all the remaining living hostages. Trump himself also stated earlier that if all hostages were not released by Saturday, the ceasefire should be suspended, resulting in "all hell breaking loose."
70 hostages have not returned to Israel yet
After the Saturday exchange in the Gaza Strip, 70 people are still being held, of whom at least 35 are no longer alive.
Netanyahu is expected to hold a meeting in the evening to discuss further steps against Hamas, reported the Times of Israel portal. A source in the cabinet admitted that the government's recent communications are unclear, but this is a "deliberate strategy."
The exchange of hostages for prisoners is only one element of the ceasefire that has been in effect since 19 January. The agreement is temporary and is valid until the beginning of March. The prospects for its extension are increasingly uncertain.
