'Israel reserves right to resume Gaza war': Netanyahu's big warning before ceasefire takes effect
Pledging to bring home all hostages held in Palestinian territory, Netanyahu said, “We reserve the right to resume the war if necessary, with American support.”
Threatening the fragile ceasefire deal with Hamas, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday that Israel reserves the right to resume the war in Gaza with the support of US, “if necessary”.

Pledging to bring home all hostages held in the Palestinian territory, Netanyahu said in a televised statement, “We reserve the right to resume the war if necessary, with American support.”
Netanyahu's statement came a day before a ceasefire is set to take effect.
"We are thinking of all our hostages ... I promise you that we will achieve all our objectives and bring back all the hostages….With this agreement, we will bring back 33 of our brothers and sisters, the majority (of them) alive," news agency AFP quoted Netanyahu as saying.
Also Read: Israel govt approves ceasefire deal with Hamas to free hostages, end Gaza conflict
The Israeli prime minister said the 42-day first phase, which starts on Sunday, was a “temporary ceasefire,” adding that if they are “forced to resume" war, they ”will do it with force".
"If we are forced to resume the war, we will do so with force," Netanyahu said, adding that Israel had "changed the face of the Middle East" since the war began.
Israel-Hamas ceasefire
After more than a year of deadly conflict, the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is set to begin on Sunday, halting the 15-month-long war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group in Gaza.
This agreement, reached by Hamas and Israel on Wednesday, was mediated by Qatar and the US, however, it was in limbo for more than a day as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted there were last-minute complications that he blamed on the Hamas militant group, which rejected the allegations.
Israel's government on Saturday approved the ceasefire agreement with Hamas, with the first phase of the deal including a series of hostage and prisoner exchanges.
This agreement marks the most significant breakthrough in the war, though its implementation remains complex and fragile. It relies on cooperation from Palestinian militant factions, the International Red Cross, the Israeli military, multiple mediating countries, and an Israeli government facing internal tensions as hardline ministers express opposition.
The ceasefire has raised hopes in Gaza, where 90 per cent of the population has reportedly been displaced by relentless Israeli air and ground attacks, leaving large portions of the territory in ruins.
What’s set to happen on Sunday?
The ceasefire will take effect at 8:30 am local time (2:30 pm IST). Under the agreement, three female hostages are expected to be released after 4 pm (8 pm IST) by Hamas. Shortly after, Israel will free around 95 Palestinian prisoners, mostly minors and women.
Hamas was supposed to send Israel the names of the three hostages by Saturday afternoon. However, as of late Saturday, Israel had not yet received them. The names will only be made public once the hostages are released and officially identified.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanded that Hamas provide a list of names of hostages to be freed on Sunday before any prisoner swap takes place.
In southern Israel, schools will delay opening until 10 am, anticipating potential Hamas rocket fire just before the ceasefire takes effect, according to an Associated Press report.
Israeli troops inside Gaza will primarily remain along the borders with Israel and Egypt and will maintain a presence along the road dividing northern and southern Gaza, according to a map released by the Israeli military.
Meanwhile, hundreds of trucks carrying much-needed humanitarian aid are expected to enter Gaza.
