United States President Donald Trump on Monday said that he would propose cancelling the ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas if all Israeli hostages were not returned by February 15, AFP reported.

“As far as I'm concerned, if all of the hostages aren't returned by Saturday [February 15] 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,” Trump told mediapersons at the White House.

Hamas, however, said that all Israeli hostages can be brought back home from Gaza only if the ceasefire is respected.

“Trump must remember that there is an agreement that must be respected by both parties, and this is the only way to bring back the prisoners,” Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said, according to Reuters. “The language of threats has no value and only complicates matters.”

The first six-week phase of the Gaza ceasefire began on January 19 and involves the exchange of 33 hostages for hundreds of Palestinian detainees. Hamas has so far released 16 Israeli hostages while 566 Palestinian prisoners have been freed.

Earlier on Monday, a spokesperson for Hamas’ armed wing said that the next hostage release scheduled for February 15 would be postponed till further notice “pending the [Israeli] occupation's compliance and retroactive fulfilment of the past weeks' obligations”. Hamas has accused Israel of attacking the residents of Gaza in violation of the ceasefire, leaving three persons dead.

The truce halted over 15 months of fighting in Gaza and led to the release of five groups of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians held in Israeli custody.

On February 8, Israel and Hamas completed their fifth hostage-prisoner exchange in which three Israeli hostages were released for 183 Palestinian prisoners.

Tensions have, however, risen after Trump proposed to take control of the Gaza Strip and expel its over two million residents.

More than 47,700 persons, including over 17,400 children, have been killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023, when Israel launched a military offensive against Gaza.

This came after Hamas launched an incursion into southern Israel, killing 1,200 persons and taking more than 200 hostages. Israel retaliated by carrying out unprecedented air and ground strikes on Gaza. About 400 Israeli soldiers have died in the conflict.

According to the latest figures by the United Nations, 92% or 436,000 housing units in Gaza have either been destroyed or damaged in the Israeli attacks. A total of 496 out of 546 schools have also either been partially or severely damaged, and only 17 out of 36 hospitals are partially functioning.