Jerusalem, Israel - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday said that Israel was prepared to resume fighting in the Gaza Strip "at any moment" while vowing to complete the war's objectives "whether through negotiation or by other means."

"We are prepared to resume intense fighting at any moment, our operational plans are ready," Netanyahu said at a ceremony for combat officers, a day after Israel halted the release of Palestinian prisoners, which was due as part of a truce deal.

"In Gaza, we have eliminated most of Hamas's organized forces, but let there be no doubt – we will complete the war's objectives entirely – whether through negotiation or by other means," he added.

The fragile ceasefire in Gaza, which began on January 19, largely halted more than 15 months of Israel's all-out assault on the Palestinian territory.

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The first phase of the truce ends early in March, but negotiations have not yet taken place for a planned subsequent phase, which is meant to lead to a permanent end to the war sparked by Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.

Israel had been expected to release more than 600 Palestinian prisoners on Saturday in exchange for six Israeli hostages freed by Hamas militants in Gaza.

But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the prisoner release would be delayed until Hamas ends its "humiliating ceremonies" while freeing Israeli hostages.

Hamas accused Israel on Sunday of jeopardizing the Gaza truce after the government halted the release of Palestinian prisoners.

"By postponing the release of our Palestinian prisoners according to the phase one ceasefire agreement, the enemy government is acting rampantly and exposing the entire agreement to grave danger," senior Hamas official Bassem Naim said in a statement.