The Israeli military has called up its reservists and is building up its forces on the southern border — as Hamas ordered its own fighters to go into hiding and prepare for combat should Saturday’s hostage exchange fail to take place and restart the war.
After nearly a month of peace in the Gaza Strip, all-out war threatens to resume after Hamas announced that it would not comply with Saturday’s hostage release, accusing Israel of violating the terms of the cease-fire agreement.
Eli Sharabi and Ohad Ben Ami, hostages held in Gaza since the deadly October 7, 2023 attack, are released by Hamas militants as part of a ceasefire and a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel in Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, on Feb. 8, 2025. REUTERSPresident Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have since warned that if all 67 hostages in Gaza are not freed by noon Saturday, they would “let hell break loose. ”
Following his warning on Tuesday, Netanyahu ordered the Israel Defense Forces to begin amassing troops inside and around the Gaza Strip.
“The reinforcements of troops and mobilization of reservists are being carried out in preparation for various scenarios,” an IDF statement said.
Following the ultimatum from the US and Israel, Hamas ordered its fighters to go into hiding, revert to safer communications to avoid being tracked, and prepare for combat, sources told the Wall Street Journal.
The terror operatives had been out and about in broad daylight for the first time in 15 months since the cease-fire went into effect.
Israeli soldiers gather in a circle as they listen to a briefing at the memorial site in Re’im, southern Israel, on Feb. 11, 2025, where hundreds of Israelis were murdered during the Nova dance party killed by Hamas on October 7, 2023. Jim Hollander/UPI/ShutterstockAs Gaza’s de facto rulers, Hamas fighters and police had been maintaining order and overseeing the return of displaced Palestinians since Jan. 19.
The terrorists have also thrown parade-like processions during the hostage exchanges to tout their accomplishment at withstanding Israel’s assault for more than 470 days, much to the ire of the Jewish state.
As both sides prep for war, mediators are scrambling to try and “prevent things sliding into a real crisis,” one Palestinian official told Reuters.
“Things are not yet clear, but there is a big intervention from the side of the mediators with both sides in an attempt to resolve the impasse and ensure no pauses in the ceasefire agreement,” the official added.
Palestinians stand in their partially standing homes, covered with sheets as makeshift walls, in an area largely destroyed by the Israeli army’s air and ground offensive in Jabaliya, Gaza Strip, on Feb. 11, 2025. APMediators have said they have already been working on plans to increase the flow of humanitarian aid to northern Gaza to appease Hamas’ complaint against Israel and keep the hostage exchange deal alive.
So far, Hamas has freed 16 Israeli hostages from the initial group of 33 set to be released in the first phase of the cease-fire agreement.
Elon Musk looks on as President Donald Trump gives remarks in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington DC on Feb. 11, 2025. Aaron Schwartz/UPI/ShutterstockOfficials say eight of the remaining 17 are believed to be dead, but Israel has yet to publicly name them.
Negotiations over the second phase, which would have seen the remaining living hostages freed, were underway before the talks broke down on Monday.
With Post wires
