Israel and Hamas are trading accusations of violating the fragile ceasefire in Gaza with less than a week left in the initial pause with no public indications of an extension being negotiated, raising questions about the future of the Middle East peace deal.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the hundreds of remaining Palestinian prisoners who were set to be released will not be freed until the safety of more Israeli hostages “has been assured” and Hamas agreed to free them without “humiliating ceremonies.”

Hamas has been releasing hostages in elaborate ceremonies, parading captives on a stage flanked by masked gunman, drawing a stiff condemnation from Israel. It also handed over the wrong body for one of the hostages that Israel said was a “cruel and malicious violation” of the ceasefire. Hamas said it was a mistake, but it’s another development fueling the uncertainty about whether the fighting could soon resume.

The pause in the war, which came shortly after Israel agreed to a truce with Hezbollah, brought at least temporary relief to fears of broader war breaking out in the Middle East. But tensions have remained high with fighting breaking out at times amid accusations of violating the terms of the deals.

“A ceasefire deal with both of these adversaries is tenuous from the start, regardless of how you lay out the requirements and what you’re supposed to achieve during the ceasefire,” said Mark Chandler, former director of Defense Intelligence Agency’s Middle East and Africa Center and professor of practice at Coastal Carolina University.

Israel has started to bulk up its forces in the occupied West Bank where troops are expected to remain for at least a year in a move to prevent the rise of more terrorism and maintain control of the region.

“We are ready to return to intense fighting at any moment,” Netanyahu said Sunday as Israeli tanks moved into the West Bank for the first time in decades.

U.S. officials reportedly believe the second phase of the deal will move forward on schedule but there have been no reports of continued talks ahead of the Sunday deadline that are expected to be more difficult than the lengthy negotiations that brought temporary peace to a grueling and destructive war.

Steve Witkoff, U.S. special envoy for the Middle East, told CBS on Sunday he is heading to the region this week to meet with other mediators from the ceasefire to work out the details of getting the next phase in place.

Hamas has said it won’t release remaining hostages until Israel agrees to fully withdraw from Gaza and a lasting ceasefire, while Netanyahu has maintained his goal of wiping out the militant group’s military and governing capabilities and freeing remaining hostages. Some parts of Israel’s governing coalition have pressed to return to fighting.

President Donald Trump came into his second term as a staunch advocate for Israel, promising “hell to pay” if Hamas did not release hostages by the time he got into office and has said the U.S. will back Israel either way if it decides to resume fighting or move forward with a second phase of the peace deal.

“What we feel is any daylight that had been created between us and the last administration is being erased,” said Yechiel Leiter, the Israeli ambassador to the U.S. “We’re moving into a mode of learning to tango together right now. Not yet lockstep, but very close tango.”

Trump has also pushed for other Middle Eastern countries to take ownership of resolving the conflict and creating more stability in the region. His push to have the U.S. take “ownership” of redeveloping Gaza was met with backlash from other nations in the area, but has also prompted some to offer help rebuilding the war-torn area and assist the millions of refugees forced to leave their homes.

“The fact that you have Trump in the White House now a staunch supporter for Israel, that sends a strong message, not only to Hamas, but to Hezbollah and Iran as well, that we will back Israel with whatever they need to do, and they will have our support. That’s unambiguous,” Chandler said. “This administration sees that the U.S. is not a viable candidate to go in there and take control of Gaza for the betterment and security. In the long term, it’s got to be the Arab states, and they are now starting to pony up.”

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