Benjamin Netanyahu (AP photo)

Israel was prepared to resume fighting in the Gaza Strip “at any moment,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday a day after the country halted the release of Palestinian prisoners which was due as part of a truce deal.
Speaking at a ceremony for combat officers, Netanyahu said, “We are prepared to resume intense fighting at any moment, our operational plans are ready.”
“In Gaza, we have eliminated most of Hamas’s organised forces, but let there be no doubt — we will complete the war’s objectives entirely — whether through negotiation or by other means,” he added.
The current ceasefire, which commenced on January 19, brought a significant pause to over 15 months of intense conflict in the Palestinian territory, AFP reported.
The initial phase of the truce concludes in early March, but discussions for the subsequent phase, intended to permanently end the conflict that began with Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, have not commenced.
Israel was scheduled to free more than 600 Palestinian prisoners on Saturday in exchange for six Israeli hostages released by Hamas militants in Gaza.
Netanyahu announced the delay in prisoner releases until Hamas ceases what he termed “humiliating ceremonies” during Israeli hostage releases.
On Sunday, Hamas criticised Israel for endangering the Gaza truce following the suspension of Palestinian prisoner releases.
Senior Hamas official Bassem Naim issued a statement declaring, “By postponing the release of our Palestinian prisoners according to the phase one ceasefire agreement, the enemy government is acting rampantly and exposing the entire agreement to grave danger.”