The ceasefire with Palestinian militant group Hamas their military offensive in Gaza if hostages are not released by midday on Saturday as scheduled, said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday.

“If Hamas does not return our hostages by Saturday noon, the ceasefire will end, and the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] will return to intense fighting until Hamas is finally defeated,” he said after a meeting of the country’s Security Cabinet.

The Israeli prime minister’s comment came a day after Hamas said it would delay the release of hostages planned for Saturday until further notice because of what it claimed were “Israeli violations” of the ceasefire.

The militant group has accused Israel of attacking the residents of Gaza in violation of the ceasefire.

Netanyahu said that the Security Cabinet had welcomed United States President Donald Trump’s demand for the release of hostages by noon on Saturday, “and we all also welcomed the president’s revolutionary vision for the future of Gaza”.

Trump had said on Monday that he would between Israel and Hamas if all Israeli hostages were not returned by Saturday.

“As far as I am concerned, if all of the hostages are not returned by Saturday [February 15] 12 o’clock – I think...