Following former President Donald Trump's ultimatum regarding the remaining hostages held by Hamas, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has scheduled a crucial meeting. Fox News correspondent Trey Yingst reports that the meeting is set for 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Saturday, coinciding with the deadline Trump set for the return of all hostages.
Netanyahu's spokesperson confirmed the meeting to Fox News, and the Prime Minister released a statement emphasizing Israel's preparedness for any scenario following the deadline. "Israel is preparing with full intensity for what comes next, in every sense," Netanyahu stated, according to TPS-IL.
This development comes after the release of three more hostages by Hamas earlier on Saturday, including American citizen Sagui Dekel-Chen. The release was reportedly almost postponed indefinitely due to alleged ceasefire breaches by Israel. The three released hostages, including Iair Horn and Sasha Troufanov, were initially captured from Kibbutz Nir Oz during the attacks on October 7th.
Trump had previously urged Israel to terminate the ceasefire and "let all hell break out" if Hamas failed to comply with the hostage release deadline. While the initial statement left some ambiguity about the specific time zone, Netanyahu's meeting time indicates that Israel interpreted the deadline as 12 p.m. Eastern Time.
In a recent post on Truth Social, Trump acknowledged the release of the three hostages, noting they "seem to be in good shape." He reiterated the impending deadline and affirmed the United States' support for Israel's subsequent decisions. "Israel will now have to decide what they will do... The United States will back the decision they make!" Trump stated.
The current ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, initiated on January 19th, stipulates the release of 33 hostages in exchange for approximately 2,000 Palestinian prisoners over a six-week period. Last week, Trump expressed concern over the physical condition of previously released hostages, describing them as looking like "Holocaust survivors."
