Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday threatened to withdraw from the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and resume its war against Hamas if the militant group does not go ahead with the next scheduled release of hostages on Saturday.

Hamas accuses Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement, including by not allowing a surge of tents and shelters into the devastated territory. U.S. President Donald Trump threated that “all hell” will break out if the militant group does not release the remaining Israeli hostages held in Gaza by Saturday.

At the White House, Trump is hosting Jordan’s King Abdullah II as he escalates pressure on the key U.S. ally to take in refugees from Gaza — perhaps permanently — as part of his audacious plan to remake the Middle East. Palestinians and the international community have seethed over Trump’s recent comments that any Palestinians potentially expelled from Gaza would not have a right to return.

During the first phase of the ceasefire, Hamas has committed to freeing a total of 33 hostages captured in its Oct. 7, 2023, attack in exchange for Israel releasing nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. The sides have carried out five swaps since Jan. 19, freeing 21 hostages and over 730 Palestinian prisoners so far. The war could resume in early March if no agreement is reached on the more complicated second phase of the ceasefire, which calls for the return of all remaining hostages and an indefinite extension of the truce.

Netanyahu Threatens to Resume Fighting in Gaza if Hostages Aren’t Released Saturday

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday threatened to withdraw from the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and resume its war against Hamas if the militant group does not go ahead with the next scheduled release of hostages on Saturday.

Hamas repeated its warning Tuesday that it planned to delay the release of three more hostages after accusing Israel breaking the terms of the ceasefire, including by not allowing enough tents and other aid into Gaza.

U.S. President Donald Trump has emboldened Israel to call for the release of even more remaining hostages on Saturday, but it wasn’t immediately clear whether Netanyahu’s threat referred to the release of all remaining hostages in Gaza, or just the three scheduled for release on Saturday.

Israel Orders More Troops to Gaza as the Ceasefire With Hamas Falters

An Israeli official says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the military to increase troops in and around the Gaza Strip after Hamas said it would call off a scheduled hostage release this weekend.

The official said Netanyahu also ordered officials “to prepare for every scenario if Hamas doesn’t release our hostages this Saturday.” The Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss a closed-door meeting, was not clear if Netanyahu’s order referred to all hostages, or the three scheduled for release on Saturday.

The preparation plans come after Netanyahu met with his Security Cabinet for four hours on Tuesday to discuss Hamas’ threat, which has put the fragile ceasefire agreement in danger. Hamas accuses Israel of violating the ceasefire, including by not allowing enough of the agreed-upon tents and shelters into the Gaza Strip.

Israel Looks Abroad for More Construction Workers as Palestinians Remain Banned

Israel will provide several thousand additional work permits for foreign construction laborers, a decision that signals Israel intends to keep barring Palestinians in the occupied West Bank from working in Israel.

Before Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack, some 150,000 Palestinians from the West Bank and roughly 18,000 from Gaza were allowed to work in Israel — mainly in construction, manufacturing and agriculture. However, during the war, Israeli authorities barred entry to all Palestinians from Gaza and most from the West Bank, saying it was necessary for security. The move left tens of thousands of Palestinians jobless and caused a widely reported shortage of workers on the Israeli side.

A statement released Tuesday by the Ministry of Construction and the prime minister’s office said the quota for private importation of foreign workers into the construction industry would be raised from 25,000 to 30,000, and that various other barriers to bringing in foreign workers would be eased. The statement said there are currently approximately 60,000 foreign workers in the construction industry in Israel, compared with some 30,000 before the war, and that the new steps were needed to “accelerate the pace of construction in Israel.”

Hamas Makes First Arrests of People Suspected of Attacking Aid Trucks

The Interior Ministry in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip said on Tuesday that its police forces had arrested five people suspected of attacking aid trucks, apparently the first such arrests by Hamas during the ceasefire.

In a terse statement, the ministry that oversees police forces said the suspects allegedly attacked aid trucks in Gaza’s City southern neighborhood of Zaytoun. The ministry did not provide details about those arrested or the amount of goods stolen but warned that police forces will take “strict measure” against those attacking aid trucks across Gaza.

Although Hamas has made efforts to project its power and control over Gaza since the ceasefire began, the looting and robbery of aid trucks was an issue during the war. Emboldened by a security vacuum amid the fighting, looters hijacked trucks carrying food or fuel.

U.N. officials have said criminal gangs stealing from convoys made aid distribution difficult, but U.N. Undersecretary for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher said days after the ceasefire began that a halt to looting had improved aid workers’ ability to operate. Israel has also accused Hamas of stealing aid.

Trump to Host the King of Jordan as He Escalates Pressure on His Gaza Resettlement Plan

President Donald Trump will host Jordan’s King Abdullah II at the White House on Tuesday as he escalates pressure on the Arab nation to take in refugees from Gaza — perhaps permanently — as part of his audacious plan to remake the Middle East.

Trump has proposed the U.S. take control of Gaza and turn it into “the Riviera of the Middle East,” with Palestinians in the war-torn territory pushed into neighboring nations with no right of return.

He suggested on Monday that, if necessary, he would withhold U.S. funding from Jordan and Egypt, longtime U.S. allies and among the top recipients of its foreign aid, as a means of persuading them to accept additional Palestinians from Gaza.

Jordan has flatly rejected Trump’s plan to relocate civilians from Gaza.

In addition to concerns about jeopardizing the long-held goals of a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, Egypt and Jordan have privately raised security concerns about welcoming large numbers of additional refugees into their countries even temporarily.