ISRAELI forces killed one Palestinian and seriously injured another in ash-Shawka, east of southern Gaza’s Rafah city today.

The Israeli military confirmed the strike, claiming it was linked to cross-border weapons smuggling.

The attack took place despite an ongoing ceasefire and follows Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s insistance on Tuesday that any delay in releasing hostages would lead to Israel reopening hostilities.

Mr Netanyahu’s office said it “welcomed President Trump’s demand” for all remaining hostages to be released on Saturday –which goes beyond the ceasefire deal for a phased release alongside the freeing of Palestinian prisoners.

It wasn’t clear whether the remarks from the Israeli prime minister’s office referred to the release of all the hostages.

But the office also said Israel’s military had been ordered to mobilise troops on and around the Gaza Strip in preparation for a resumption of fighting.

Hamas repeated on Tuesday that it planned to delay the release of three more hostages on the grounds Israel had not met the terms of the ceasefire, including by not allowing an agreed-upon number of tents and other aid into the region.

Amid mounting tensions, United States President Donald Trump emboldened Israel to call for the release of even more remaining hostages on Saturday.

After meeting with Jordan’s King Abdullah II at the White House on Tuesday, President Trump predicted Hamas would not release all the remaining hostages as he had demanded.

“I don't think they’re going to make the deadline, personally,” the president said of Hamas. “They want to play tough guy. We’ll see how tough they are.”

King Abdullah was asked repeatedly by reporters about President Trump’s plan to remove the Palestinians from Gaza, but didn’t make substantive comments at the time.

Later he rebuffed President Trump’s proposal for Jordan to absorb Palestinians living in Gaza, saying he remained opposed to a plan Mr Trump has laid out to clear the territory so the US can seize control.

The King said that during a “constructive” meeting with Mr Trump he “reiterated Jordan’s steadfast position against the displacement of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.”

King Abdullah said, however, that Jordan would be willing “right away” to take as many as 2,000 children in Gaza who have cancer or are otherwise ill.

The top World Health Organisation official for Gaza reported last week that between 12,000 and 14,000 patients still need medical evacuation from the territory – including 5,000 children.