Release of hostages from Gaza delayed until Friday

GAZA: Israeli officials have said that no Gaza captives will be released before Friday as part of the Qatar-brokered ceasefire agreement.

However, families of the captives expressed frustration and blamed the government for not providing them adequate information on the implementation of the agreement.

“The release will begin according to the original agreement between the parties, and not before Friday,” Tzachi Hanegbi, Israel’s national security adviser said in a statement late Wednesday, adding that talks on the deal were continuing.

The official however did not give any 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.

A Palestinian official has told AFP that a delay in implementation of the truce deal was due to “last minute” details over which captives would be released and how.

“The pause, widely expected to go into force on Thursday but delayed during the night, had been put back over “the names of the Israeli hostages and the modalities of their release”, said the official, who has knowledge of the negotiation process.

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.

• Additional reporting by agencies