Israel has begun mobilising military reservists as tensions rise over a looming deadline for Hamas to free Israeli hostages. U.S. President Donald Trump has warned that failure to release captives by Saturday will lead to renewed conflict.
Israel has begun calling up military reservists, bracing for a possible return to war in Gaza if Hamas fails to release hostages by Saturday, the agreed deadline under the ceasefire deal.
Concerns over the truce’s collapse have grown as outrage spreads in the Arab world over Trump’s proposal to take control of Gaza, relocate Palestinian residents, and develop an international beach resort.
Hamas, which previously agreed to release three more hostages on Saturday, has halted the process, accusing Israel of breaking the ceasefire terms. Trump responded with a stern ultimatum: “All hostages must be freed by noon on Saturday, or I will let hell break out.”
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned that “if Hamas stops the hostage releases, then there is no ceasefire—there is war.” He said renewed fighting would be “of another intensity altogether” and would bring Trump’s Gaza plan into reality.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu echoed Katz’s warning, saying Israel would resume “intense fighting” if Hamas failed to meet the deadline. However, he did not specify how many hostages must be freed.
The Israeli military has begun deploying additional troops to the south and activating reservists in preparation for potential action in Gaza. Netanyahu said he had instructed the military to be “ready for all scenarios.”
At the White House, Trump asked Jordan’s King Abdullah to ensure Hamas understands the severity of the situation.
Residents in Gaza fear that renewed fighting will make the humanitarian crisis even worse. “We had barely started believing that a truce would happen and that a solution was on the way,” said Lotfy Abu Taha, a resident of Rafah. “The people are suffering. The people are the victims.”
The armed wing of Hamas ally Islamic Jihad warned that the fate of Israeli hostages was now directly tied to Netanyahu’s decisions. “The only way to retrieve hostages and for stability to return is through a swap deal,” a spokesperson said.
Anger over Trump’s vision for Gaza is growing. Two Egyptian security officials said that President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi would not travel to Washington if discussions included the U.S. plan to relocate Palestinians. Egypt’s presidency has not commented on the matter.
Donald Trump said he is “in no hurry” to reach a deal with Iran, insisting the U.S. is slowly getting what it wants. He warned military action rem...
Malta’s Prime Minister Robert Abela has secured a fourth successive election victory for his Labour Party, extending its hold on power, though with ...
Nicaraguan indigenous leader and former lawmaker Brooklyn Rivera has died in state custody at the age of 73, according to local media reports citing h...
At least 46 people, including six children, have been killed in a powerful explosion at a building used to store mining explosives in northeastern Mya...
Thousands of residents blocked Austria’s Brenner motorway on Saturday (30 May), shutting down a major north-south transport route through the Alps i...
Donald Trump said he is “in no hurry” to reach a deal with Iran, insisting the U.S. is slowly getting what it wants. He warned military action remains an option if talks fail. Meanwhile, U.S. forces said they fired a missile at a vessel trying to breach Washington’s blockade of Iran.
Nicaraguan indigenous leader and former lawmaker Brooklyn Rivera has died in state custody at the age of 73, according to local media reports citing his family.
At least 46 people, including six children, have been killed in a powerful explosion at a building used to store mining explosives in northeastern Myanmar, according to local media reports.
Thousands of residents blocked Austria’s Brenner motorway on Saturday (30 May), shutting down a major north-south transport route through the Alps in protest against persistent congestion from heavy truck traffic and tourism.
U.S. rapper Kanye West, now known as Ye, performed to a crowd of 118,000 people in Istanbul on Saturday night, marking his first concert in Europe in more than a decade, despite being barred from performing in several countries over past antisemitic remarks.
Iranian-made Yassin missiles were spotted mounted on Armenian Air Force fighter aircraft during Armenia's latest military parade on Thursday (28 May), drawing attention from defence observers and regional analysts.
The Philippines remains under a "severe threat" from China despite recent efforts by Washington and Beijing to ease tensions, Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said on Saturday (30 May).
Thai rescuers say five people have been pulled alive from a flooded cave in remote Laos, where seven villagers became trapped after heavy rain cut off access underground.
Russia has recalled its ambassador to Armenia for consultations, citing Yerevan's growing rapprochement with the European Union. The move is seen as the latest sign of deteriorating relations between the longtime allies ahead of Armenia's parliamentary election on 7 June.
Donald Trump said he is “in no hurry” to reach a deal with Iran, insisting the U.S. is slowly getting what it wants. He warned military action remains an option if talks fail. Meanwhile, U.S. forces said they fired a missile at a vessel trying to breach Washington’s blockade of Iran.
On 28 May, the EU's foreign policy chief called for Russian troops to leave Georgia and Moldova. By the end of the same day, both Tbilisi and Moscow had dismissed her. The symmetry tells a story of its own.
Iranian-made Yassin missiles were spotted mounted on Armenian Air Force fighter aircraft during Armenia's latest military parade on Thursday (28 May), drawing attention from defence observers and regional analysts.
Russia has recalled its ambassador to Armenia for consultations, citing Yerevan's growing rapprochement with the European Union. The move is seen as the latest sign of deteriorating relations between the longtime allies ahead of Armenia's parliamentary election on 7 June.
At least 22 people have been killed - including children - and 35 others injured after a truck carrying Afghan returnees overturned in eastern Afghanistan, local officials say.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment