Israel has informed Hamas through Egypt and Qatar that the ceasefire will continue if three more hostages are released on Saturday.

Axar.az reports that this comes after conflicting Israeli statements on the number of hostages required for the truce to hold.

Prime Minister Netanyahu warned that failure to release hostages by Saturday noon would end the ceasefire, aligning with a similar demand by former U.S. President Trump.

Mediation efforts by Egypt, Qatar, and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff have reportedly led to progress, with Egyptian sources suggesting a breakthrough. Hamas, which had paused hostage releases over alleged Israeli violations, might announce the names of the three hostages on Friday if Israel approves bringing more aid, including caravans, into Gaza.

Israeli ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Orit Strock proposed rearresting released Palestinian prisoners if Hamas does not comply, but security officials warned this could endanger hostages. The three-stage ceasefire deal, which began last month, is now at risk, with further phases—hostage exchanges and an IDF withdrawal—yet to be finalized.