TEL AVIV: The release of the first hostages held by Hamas militants in Gaza has been delayed until at least Friday, Israel’s national security adviser said in a statement late Wednesday.
“The release will begin according to the original agreement between the parties, and not before Friday,” Tzachi Hanegbi said, adding that talks on the deal were continuing.
Hanegbi gave no reason for the delay, and it was not clear when Israel would begin a four-day pause in its attacks on Gaza, which was part of the agreement previously announced by the warring parties. The truce had been set to take effect at 10 a.m. local time Thursday.
Qatar, which helped broker the deal along with the United States and Egypt, had earlier said Hamas, in stages, would release 50 women and children in the coming days, while Israel was expected to free 150 Palestinian prisoners.
None of the identities of those being freed has been disclosed, but U.S. officials said they thought some of the nine American hostages believed to be held by Hamas would be among those released.
Fighting continued Wednesday, with explosions seen over Gaza and Hamas firing missiles into Israel.
One airstrike hit a residential building in the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis, reportedly killing 17 people, including children, while in northern Gaza, about 60 bodies and 200 people wounded by heavy fighting were brought into the Kamal Adwan Hospital overnight.
(VOA)
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