The return of all-out war in the Gaza Strip has been averted — at least for now — after Hamas agreed on Thursday to free three hostages that the terror group had said it would withhold.  

The fragile cease-fire deal appeared all but broken after Hamas said it would refuse to release the hostages scheduled to be freed on Saturday, accusing Israel of violating the terms of the truce. 

President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu then gave the terror group an ultimatum to free all 67 hostages by noon Saturday, or “hell” would break loose in Gaza, threatening the short-lived stability in the Middle East. 

With Hamas and Israel refusing to meet each other’s demands as of Wednesday night, some observers believed a return to war was inevitable.

Israel had already ordered its troops to begin amassing in and around Gaza in preparation for war, and the terror group ordered its fighters to go back into hiding and ditch communication devices that could be used to track them. 

Hamas, however, announced Thursday that it would resume freeing Israeli hostages as originally planned, but stopped short of meeting Trump and Netanyahu’s demand to free all the captives at once. 

Israeli government spokesman David Mencer told reporters Thursday that Israel will now adhere to the original cease-fire deal as long as Hamas hands over three living hostages. 

“If those three are not released, if Hamas does not return our hostages by Saturday noon, the ceasefire will end,” Mencer warned. 

Hamas credited Egyptian and Qatari mediators for helping to “remove all hurdles” after negotiators quickly scrambled to save the fragile cease-fire deal

“We are not interested in the collapse of the cease-fire agreement in the Gaza Strip, and we are keen on its implementation and ensuring that the occupation [Israel] adheres to it fully,” Hamas spokesperson Abdel-Latif Al-Qanoua said.

“The language of threats and intimidation used by Trump and Netanyahu does not serve the implementation of the cease-fire agreement,” Qanoua added.

Israel did not comment on the details of the recent talks with mediators, who managed to salvage the deal less than two days before the deadline.  

The reversal, which appears — at least for now — to resolve the dispute that threatened to upend the cease-fire, comes after the terrorists accused Israel of failing to meet its obligations to allow in tents and shelters, as well as alleged violations of the truce.

Israel, with the support of Trump, immediately threatened to renew its offensive if the hostages weren’t released as planned.

“As far as I’m concerned, if all of the hostages aren’t returned by Saturday at 12 o’clock — I think it’s an appropriate time — I would say, cancel it and all bets are off and let hell break out,” Trump warned on Monday.

“I’d say they ought to be returned by 12 o’clock on Saturday. And if they’re not returned — all of them, not in dribs and drabs, not two and one and three and four and two — by Saturday at 12 o’clock. And after that, I would say, all hell is going to break out.”

Trump didn’t rule out sending US troops to the region — telling reporters “we’ll see what happens.”

Meanwhile, Netanyahu said his country would resume “intense fighting” if Hamas did not meet the deadline.

“We will continue to take determined and ruthless action until we return all of our hostages — the living and the deceased,” he said.

There are currently 31 living hostages in Gaza, along with bodies of 36 others who were either killed on Oct. 7 or died while in captivity, according to Israeli officials. 

Sixteen hostages have been freed so far as part of the first phase of the cease-fire deal, with another 17 set to be released, including the three scheduled for Saturday. 

With Post wires