NNA - Hamas said Thursday it was committed to honouring a truce with Israel that is facing its worst crisis since it took effect, and added that mediators were pushing for hostages to be released this weekend as planned. 

Palestinian sources reported progress in efforts to salvage the ceasefire which was plunged into uncertainty after Hamas warned it would not release hostages on Saturday, citing Israeli violations.

Israel hit back, saying that if Hamas failed to free captives on schedule, it would resume its war in Gaza.

"We are keen to implement it (the ceasefire) and oblige the occupation to fully abide by it. Mediators are pressuring (Israel) to complete the full implementation of the agreement, oblige the occupation to abide by the humanitarian protocol, and resume the exchange process on Saturday," Hamas spokesman Abdel Latif al-Qanou said.

A Palestinian source said mediators had obtained from Israel a "promise... to put in place a humanitarian protocol starting from this morning". 

Egyptian state-linked media said construction equipment, including bulldozers and trucks carrying mobile homes, was ready to enter Gaza from Egypt on Thursday.

US President Donald Trump had warned that "hell" would break loose if the Palestinian militant group failed to release "all" the hostages by noon on Saturday.

If fighting resumes, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said, "the new Gaza war... will not end without the defeat of Hamas and the release of all the hostages."

"It will also allow the realisation of US President Trump's vision for Gaza," he added.

Trump, whose return to the White House has emboldened the Israeli far-right, sparked global outcry with a proposal for the United States to take over the Gaza Strip and to move its 2.4 million residents to Egypt or Jordan.--AFP

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