Israel to Hamas: Free hostages or ‘all hell will break loose’

JERUSALEM — Israel’s defense minister on Wednesday vowed that “all hell will break loose” on Hamas if it fails to free hostages this weekend as planned, stepping up threats against the terrorist group as mediators worked to salvage their ceasefire.

There were signs that the gaps could be bridged. The dispute was sparked when Hamas accused Israel of failing to meet some commitments under the truce, including the delivery of tents and other aid, and said it would delay the next hostage release on Saturday.

Hamas official Mahmoud Merdawi told The Associated Press there were “positive signals” the three hostages will be released as planned on Saturday but the group had not yet received a commitment from Israel that it would adhere to the deal.

An Egyptian official with knowledge of the talks said the two sides were close to an agreement. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss private negotiations, said Israel had committed to delivering more tents, shelters and heavy equipment to Gaza.

Israeli officials had no immediate comment. Israel says it is fulfilling its obligations under the deal, which went into effect on Jan. 19 and has paused the 16-month war in Gaza.

In the ceasefire’s current first stage, which is to last 42 days, Israel is to deliver large quantities of aid. Hamas is meant to free 33 hostages taken during its cross-border terrorist attack on Oct. 7, 2023, which sparked the war. Eight of them are said to be dead. Twenty-one have been released so far, along with hundreds of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli custody.

Hamas’ threat to delay the hostage release sparked fury from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who vowed to resume the fighting if Hamas didn’t follow through and ordered troops to be strengthened around Gaza. They pulled back from the territory’s populated areas during the ceasefire.

On Wednesday, Defense Minister Israel Katz said he was echoing President Donald Trump by threatening that “all hell will break loose” if there is no hostage release on Saturday as planned.

“If Hamas stops releasing the hostages, then there is no deal and there is war,” he said during a visit to a military command center. He said the “new Gaza war” wouldn’t end until Hamas was defeated, which would allow for Trump’s “vision” on transferring Gaza’s population to neighboring countries to be realized.

Hamas spokesperson Hazem Kassem rejected “the language of U.S. and Israeli threats” and called on Israel to implement the terms of the ceasefire deal.