Israel has called up military reservists amid concerns that the Gaza ceasefire could collapse if Hamas fails to release more hostages by Saturday.

Tensions have escalated following US President Donald Trump’s plan to take control of Gaza, resettle its Palestinian population, and build an international beach resort. Arab anger over the proposal is growing.

Hamas said Egypt and Qatar, the mediators of the ceasefire that began on January 19, had intensified efforts to resolve the impasse. Hamas official Khalil Al-Hayya arrived in Cairo for talks.

The group had agreed to release three more hostages on Saturday but suspended the handover, citing Israeli violations of the agreement. Trump warned that all hostages must be freed by noon on Saturday or he would “let hell break out.”

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the ceasefire aimed to secure the swift release of hostages held in harsh conditions. “If Hamas stops the hostage releases then there is no ceasefire and there is war,” he said at Israeli defence headquarters in Tel Aviv. He added that a new Gaza war would be of “another intensity altogether” and would “allow the realisation of Trump’s vision for Gaza.”

Hamas spokesperson Hazaem Qassem rejected the threats, stating that talks with mediators were ongoing to uphold the ceasefire.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that Israel would resume “intense fighting” if Hamas did not meet the deadline, though he did not specify how many hostages should be released. The Israeli military announced additional deployments near Gaza, including reservists.

Trump, in a White House meeting with Jordan’s King Abdullah, asked him to ensure Hamas understood the “severity of the situation” if the hostages were not released by Saturday, according to the White House.

War devastation and Arab backlash

The potential collapse of the ceasefire threatens to reignite a conflict that has devastated Gaza, displaced most of its population, and pushed the region towards a wider war.

“We had barely started believing that a truce would happen and that a solution was on the way, God willing,” said Lotfy Abu Taha, a resident of Rafah. “The people are suffering. The people are the victims.”

The armed wing of Hamas ally Islamic Jihad, which also holds hostages, warned that their fate depended on Netanyahu’s actions. “The only way to retrieve hostages and for stability to come back is through a (hostage-prisoner) swap deal,” its spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, two Egyptian security sources said President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi would not visit Washington if the agenda included Trump’s Gaza resettlement plan. The Egyptian presidency and foreign ministry did not comment.

Hostages and casualties

The war began after the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, in which at least 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 taken hostage, according to Israeli figures.

In response, Israel launched an air and ground offensive that has killed over 48,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to local health officials.

Hamas has so far released 16 Israeli hostages from an initial group of 33 women, children, and older men in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. Five Thai hostages were also freed.

Negotiators hope a second phase of talks will secure further hostage releases and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

Palestinians fear a repeat of the “Nakba” (catastrophe), when nearly 800,000 were displaced during the 1948 war that led to Israel’s creation. Trump has said they would have no right to return under his Gaza plan.