Saturday Noon Hostage Deadline Looms for Hamas as Rubio Journeys to Israel

JERUSALEM, Israel – Saturday noon (Israel Time) is the deadline for Hamas to release more Israeli hostages. Hamas, Israel, and President Donald Trump are all focused on that time frame.

Hamas is indicating it's ready to release three more hostages on Saturday. Israel warns that it must, or it's war.

Israeli Government Spokesman David Mencer declared, "If those three are not released, if Hamas does not return our hostages by Saturday noon, the ceasefire will end and the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) will resume fighting until the final defeat of Hamas."

After seeing three nearly-starved hostages coming out in the last exchange, President Trump had demanded that Hamas let all of the remaining hostages go this weekend.

"Saturday at 12 o'clock, and after that, I would say all hell is going to break out," Trump cautioned.

Yet, he also left the final decision up to Israel.

"I would say Saturday at 12, we want them all back. I'm speaking for myself. Israel can override it," he added.

The terrorist group clarified that it would continue releasing hostages "as scheduled," meaning only three hostages on Saturday. This runs contrary to Trump's demand to free "all of the hostages," and some calls by Israeli officials to release all nine remaining hostages who are alive and scheduled to be freed throughout the rest of the deal's phase one.

Reportedly, Hamas claims the hostage release depends on Israel supplying caravans, tents, and heavy equipment for clearing rubble, its key demand in recent days.

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Hamas disclosed that it held talks with Egyptian and Qatari officials to meet these demands. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office denied a report it would not permit mobile homes and earth-moving equipment into Gaza. 

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to arrive in the Middle East on Saturday to help further the ceasefire and possibly accelerate freedom for the remaining hostages.

There is also a possibility that Steve Witkoff, Trump's Middle East envoy, will visit in the coming days.

The current goal is to speed up the release of the living hostages, according to a report in The Jerusalem Post. 

"After seeing the images of the hostages' condition last week, we need to get them out as fast as possible," said one source.

Another Israeli objective is to expand the list of hostages freed in phase one.

Hamas contends it's ready to start negotiations for phase two of this ceasefire deal. That would supposedly see Hamas free the last of the living hostages. But Israelis worry it could be a deadly pact for the Jewish nation because it will also end the war with the genocidal terrorist group still likely intact and in charge of Gaza. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

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