Following the announcement by Hamas, in which the terror group declared it is postponing the next release of hostages, the IDF announced a raising of the alert status in the Southern Command, including the suspension of leave for combat soldiers in a statement Monday evening.
In addition, the military decided to significantly reinforce units in the area. On Tuesday morning, the IDF announced that a special ceremony with the Jewish National Fund to dedicate a section of forest in the south as the "Iron Swords Forest" has been delayed due to the heightened security alert.
"In accordance with the situational assessment, it was decided to raise the level of readiness and postpone leave for combat soldiers and operational units in the Southern Command," the military announced.
"Additionally, it was decided to significantly reinforce the area with additional forces for defensive missions. The reinforcement of forces will strengthen the defense in the area and enhance the readiness for various scenarios in the region."
The IDF announcement came following the statement by Hamas spokesman Abu Ubayda that the handover of hostages would "be postponed until further notice," citing Israeli "violations and failures to abide by the terms" over the past three weeks.
"The handover of the [Israeli] prisoners who were scheduled to be released next Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025, will be postponed until further notice, until [Israel] commits to and compensates for the past weeks retroactively, and we affirm our commitment to the terms of the agreement as long as [Israel] commits to them," Obeida said in the statement.
After the hostage release postponement was announced, U.S. President Donald Trump issued a new ultimatum to Hamas, calling for the release of all remaining hostages by Saturday at 12:00.
"If all the Gaza hostages aren't returned by Saturday at 12 p.m., I would say cancel the ceasefire," the president told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday.
"Let all hell break loose," Trump added.
"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. I'd say they ought to be returned by 12 o'clock on Saturday," Trump told the reporters.
Asked by a reporter for clarification on what he meant by "all hell is going to break loose," Trump responded, "You'll find out and they'll find out. Hamas will find out what I mean."
"These are sick people," Trump continued, "and they'll find out what I mean Saturday."
Following Trump's remarks, a senior Hamas official living outside of Gaza, Sami Abu Zuhri, condemned the president's statements, saying, "Trump's threatening language has no value and will lead to complications. He must remember that there is an agreement that both sides must honor. This is the only way for the hostages to return."
With the release of the remaining hostages delayed, there are increased concerns for the well-being of the remaining captives. Israeli medical officials already stated that there is a clear deterioration in the condition of the hostages released later, compared to those released earlier.
Meanwhile, Kibbutz Kissufim announced on Tuesday morning that Shlomo Mansour, 86, the oldest of the hostages in Gaza, had been murdered in captivity.
"This is one of the hardest days in the history of our kibbutz," the announcement read. "Our hearts are broken that we were unable to bring him back to us alive. The entire community grieves his loss and is united in grief and pain."
Kibbutz leaders called on the government and world leaders to "work resolutely" to return all the hostages to Israel.
Hamas has released 16 Israeli hostages as part of the current ceasefire agreement, in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian security prisoners, including convicted terrorists, and an increase in humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.
The terror group also released five Thai workers who had been taken captive during the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks.
Another 73 people remain in the Gaza Strip, although around 36 have been confirmed dead by the IDF, and the condition of several others is unknown.
Hamas was to release 33 Israeli hostages during the first phase, and negotiations over the second phase were supposed to begin on Sunday.
Republished with permission from All Israel News