Wednesday Briefing: Israel Threatens to End the Cease-Fire

A shelter amid the rubble in northern Gaza on Monday.Credit…Saher Alghorra for The New York Times

Israel threatened to end the Gaza cease-fire

Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, yesterday warned that “intense fighting” would resume in Gaza if Hamas did not release hostages by noon on Saturday. His statements closely echoed President Trump’s threats against Hamas on Monday after the Palestinian group said it would postpone releasing hostages.

Netanyahu did not specify how many hostages would have to be freed to stop a renewed war. Three hostages were scheduled to be released this week.

In Washington,Trump met with King Abdullah II of Jordan yesterday and insisted that the U.S. would “take” Gaza. He repeated that other countries in the region, namely Jordan and Egypt, should take in the Palestinians currently there. Egypt and Jordan rejected the idea when Trump raised it last week. Rather than pushing back directly, Abdullah said it would be best to consult with other Arab nations. Follow our coverage.

Aid: On the eve of Abdullah’s visit, Trump said he could cut aid to Jordan unless it took in Palestinians. Jordan receives more than $1.5 billion from the U.S. each year. Experts say that the survival of the king’s rule depends on his digging in against Trump’s plan.

Related: The Palestinian Authority announced that it would end payments to the families of Palestinians jailed or killed by Israel. Analysts saw the move as an attempt to curry favor with Trump and to bring much-needed foreign aid into Palestinian coffers.

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