Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Hamas on Monday (March 3) of severe consequences if the Palestinian militant group does not release the remaining hostages held in Gaza.

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“I tell Hamas: If you do not release our hostages, there will be consequences that you cannot imagine,” Netanyahu said during a speech in the Israeli parliament.

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As he delivered his speech, families of the hostages gathered outside the Knesset in protest, urging action to bring their loved ones home.

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Netanyahu referred to an agreement from the previous US administration, backed by President Donald Trump, which grants Israel the right to withdraw from negotiations and resume military operations if talks become futile.

“According to the side letter that accompanied the agreement from the previous [US] administration, backed by the Trump administration, we have the right at any moment from Day 42 to drop out of the negotiations and return to fighting if we are under the impression that the talks are pointless,” he said.

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Addressing concerns raised by US special envoy Steve Witkoff, Netanyahu admitted that the gap between the negotiating sides is too big and poses a risk to the talks. “There is a proposal in front of us. We are still in the agreement, we are not violating the agreement, but we are not returning immediately to war,” he said.

However, he warned that military action might still be necessary. “Who knows, we might need to. [Witkoff] offers a way to return all the hostages, in two releases,” he added.

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Netanyahu also voiced support for former US President Trump’s proposal to encourage emigration from Gaza, calling it a “brave and innovative” idea.

“We must support it. We support it fully,” he said, claiming that many wealthy Gazans had managed to bribe their way out of the territory. “The time has come to give them the freedom to leave. The time has come to give them the freedom to choose,” he added.

Hamas has 'enough food to fuel an obesity epidemic': Israel

Meanwhile, Israeli government spokesman David Mencer accused Hamas of hoarding supplies while the civilian population suffered. His comments came a day after Israel blocked aid deliveries, citing a deadlock in ceasefire talks.

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Mencer told reporters that Hamas has stockpiled supplies for its operatives “for months and months” and has “enough food to fuel an obesity epidemic.”

“No one is going hungry in Hamas,” he said. “The supplies are there, but Hamas don’t share.”

(With inputs from agencies)