The IDF announced on Monday evening that a decision was made to raise the alert level in the Southern Command following a siutational assessment in the area.

Leave for combat soldiers and operational units in the south has been postponed and a significant number of additional forces were deployed to the area.

“This step is intended to strengthen operational readiness and ensure appropriate preparation for a variety of possible scenarios in the sector,” the IDF spokesperson stated.

The precautionary steps came in the wake of Hamas’s announcement earlier Monday that it is freezing the hostage release deal “until further notice” due to “Israeli violations of the deal.” US President Donald Trump responded by threatening Hamas that if it doesn’t release all the hostages by noon on Shabbos, the Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal should be scrapped.

Political sources familiar with the details estimate that Hamas’ move is intended to exert pressure on Israel in order to achieve an expansion of the scope of the release of terrorists and an increase in “humanitarian” aid to the Gaza Strip.

Earlier on Monday evening, Defense Minister Yisrael Katz said that following Hamas’s “violation of the ceasefire/hostage release deal,” he instructed the IDF to prepare “at the highest level of alert” for any possible scenario in Gaza and to defend the border communities.

“We will not return to the reality of October 7,” Katz asserted.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)