Gaza ceasefire feared to be at edge of breakdown

Hamas has said it is delaying the release of Israeli hostages indefinitely over "violations" of the ceasefire deal, prompting Israel's defence minister to put the country's military on alert with orders to prepare for "any scenario in Gaza".

- Emma Graham-Harrison and Quique Kierszenbaum

Mediators feared a breakdown of the three-week-old ceasefire, Egyptian security sources told Reuters, and had postponed talks until they received a clear indication of Washington's intent to continue with the phased deal.

Israel's security cabinet has moved forward a meeting to discuss negotiations on the second phase, which had been originally set for this evening.

The army had also cancelled all leave for soldiers in the Gaza division, the Israeli news outlet Kann reported, in another sign that the government is preparing for the resumption of war.

Relatives and supporters of the Israelis held hostage in Gaza said they had contacted the negotiators - which include Qatar, Egypt and the US-asking for urgent help to "restore and implement" an agreement that took more than a year to seal.

Though a Hamas spokesman cited past Israeli violations for halting the exchanges, the decision comes against a backdrop of both US and Israeli leaders taking increasingly hardline positions about the longterm future of the strip.

Donald Trump is calling for a Gaza without Palestinians. The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has publicly praised Trump's "fresh idea" for the enclave and privately insists the war will end only if Hamas agrees to "cease to exist", Israeli media reported.

Hamas was releasing its Israeli hostages partly to secure prisoner releases but mostly in order to have a role in determining the future of a post-war Gaza, even though it is widely accepted it will no longer govern there.