Israeli military has activated reservists in anticipation of a potential renewal of hostilities in Gaza if Hamas does not comply with a Saturday deadline to release additional Israeli hostages, leading to a collapse of the nearly month-long ceasefire.

Under the ceasefire agreement established on January 19, the Palestinian militant organization committed to releasing three more hostages on Saturday. However, this week, Hamas announced it was halting the transfer, citing alleged violations of the agreement by Israel.

U.S. President Donald Trump stated that all hostages must be released by noon on Saturday, warning that failure to do so would result in severe consequences. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated on Tuesday that Israel would resume “intense fighting” if Hamas did not adhere to the deadline, although he did not specify the number of hostages required for release.

Netanyahu confirmed that he had instructed the military to mobilize forces in and around Gaza, and shortly thereafter, the military announced the deployment of additional troops to southern Israel, including the activation of reservists.

This standoff poses a risk of reigniting a conflict that has already devastated the Gaza Strip, displacing a significant portion of its population and leading to critical shortages of food, water, and shelter, while also pushing the Middle East closer to a broader regional conflict. Israeli officials reported that government ministers have supported Trump’s ultimatum to “cancel” the ceasefire unless all remaining Israeli hostages are released by Saturday.

Hamas has expressed its ongoing commitment to the agreement but has not consented to the release of hostages on Saturday. A Palestinian official involved in the discussions indicated that mediators have intensified their efforts “to avert a significant crisis.” When asked about the current situation, another Hamas representative informed Reuters, without elaborating, that “contacts are ongoing.”

The conflict in Gaza was ignited by a Hamas-led assault on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, resulting in the deaths of at least 1,200 individuals and the abduction of over 250 hostages taken into Gaza, according to Israeli reports.

In retaliation, Israel launched a military campaign against Hamas, which has devastated the coastal region and resulted in the deaths of more than 48,000 Palestinians, as reported by health officials in Gaza.

CONCERNS ABOUT REGIONAL INSTABILITY

To date, Hamas has released 16 Israeli hostages from an initial group of 33, which includes children, women, and elderly men, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees as part of the first phase of a multi-stage ceasefire agreement. Additionally, five Thai hostages were returned in an unplanned release.

Discussions regarding the second phase of the agreement, which mediators anticipated would involve the release of the remaining hostages and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, were expected to take place in Doha. However, an Israeli delegation returned home on Monday, just two days after their arrival. Thousands of demonstrators in Israel have urged the government to proceed with the ceasefire agreement to secure the return of the remaining hostages.

A proposal put forth by Trump to assume control of Gaza, displace its over 2 million Palestinian residents, and transform the area into an international beach resort has raised concerns about potential regional instability, according to senior Arab officials on Wednesday.

During a summit in Dubai, Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit warned that Trump’s plans for Gaza could trigger a new cycle of crises in the Middle East, adversely affecting peace and stability.

Palestinians are apprehensive about a recurrence of the “Nakba,” or catastrophe, which saw nearly 800,000 individuals flee or be expelled during the 1948 conflict that resulted in the establishment of Israel. Israel disputes claims that these individuals were forcibly removed. Under Trump’s vision for Gaza, he has stated that Palestinians would not have the right to return.

Trump has suggested that Palestinians in Gaza could relocate to countries like Jordan, which already hosts a significant Palestinian population, and Egypt, the most populous nation in the Arab world. Both countries have rejected this proposal.

Egypt is set to convene an emergency Arab summit on February 27 to address “serious” developments concerning the Palestinian situation.

Aboul Gheit indicated that the Arab Peace Initiative, proposed by Saudi Arabia in 2002, which offered Israel normalized relations in exchange for a statehood agreement with the Palestinians and a complete Israeli withdrawal from territories occupied in 1967, would be revisited.

Trump is advocating for Saudi Arabia to normalize relations with Israel, a move that would represent a significant strategic and diplomatic achievement for Israel, given Saudi Arabia’s status as the custodian of Islam’s holiest sites and its considerable influence across other Arab and Muslim nations.

During his first term, Trump facilitated the Abraham Accords, which established normalization agreements between Israel and several Arab nations, including the United Arab Emirates, a key regional business and financial center.

In its latest statement, Saudi Arabia reiterated that it would not establish relations with Israel without the establishment of a Palestinian state.