Israel continues to block deliveries of emergency aid to Gaza, to force the Islamic group to extend the first phase of the ceasefire, which on paper expired on Saturday.
I'm telling Hamas: If you don't release (all) hostages, you'll see consequences you can't even imagine, said Netanyahu in a speech in the Israeli parliament, the Knesset.
To force Hamas to agree to an extension, Israel has in recent weeks drawn up a plan for "maximum pressure", according to the state-owned public service channel Kan.
The next step in the plan is reportedly to once again forcibly relocate Palestinians from northern to southern Gaza Strip. If deemed "necessary", Israel threatens to cut off all electricity to Gaza's population.
Heavy Bombs
The final measure in the plan is to resume full-scale warfare against Hamas, now with the heavy bombs recently approved for sale to Israel by the US government.
The Trump administration bypassed Congress and promised over 35,000 heavy bombs and 4,000 warheads to Israel, reports The Times of Israel.
In the Knesset, Netanyahu says Israel is not violating the current agreement with actions in Gaza and the West Bank.
We are still within the framework of the first agreement, we are not breaking the agreement, we are not returning to war, says Netanyahu, and continues:
Who knows, we may have to.
Sharp Criticism
Over the weekend, Israel announced that it would stop deliveries of emergency aid to Gaza, in response to Hamas' refusal to accept an extension of the first phase of the ceasefire. Hours later, reports emerged of Israeli shelling in southern and northern Gaza Strip.
Israel's decision to block emergency aid deliveries has been met with sharp criticism from several quarters, including the UN, EU, and neighboring countries in the Middle East.
While Israel temporarily wants to extend the first phase, Hamas insists that an agreement should instead be reached on a second phase, as originally stipulated in the ceasefire agreement between the parties.
A second phase would mean a more permanent and profound ceasefire, compared to the first phase's more preliminary measures. Then, Hamas would also release all remaining hostages still alive.
