No Gaza hostage release before Friday, say Israeli officials

Israel’s national security adviser on Thursday (Nov 23) said that the release of hostages held by Hamas, under a temporary truce between Israel and the Palestinian militant group, will not take place before Friday (Nov 24).

The officials also added that there would be no pause in the Gaza fighting before Friday.

The starting time of the truce and release of hostages captured by Hamas during its Oct 7 assault on Israel had yet to be officially announced, however, as per news agency Reuters reports, an Egyptian security source had stated that the mediators aimed at a start time of 10 am on Thursday.

“The negotiations on the release of our hostages are advancing and continuing constantly,” Israeli National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi said in a statement released by the prime minister’s office.

“The contacts on the release of our hostages are advancing and continuing constantly,” he said

“The start of the release will take place according to the original agreement between the sides, and not before Friday,” the statement added.

This came after journalists were notified that a media centre would open in Tel Aviv at noon on Thursday “to cover the return of the hostages”.

As per local media reports, the 24-hour delay in the release of the hostages was because the agreement between the militant group Hamas and mediator Qatar was yet to be signed.

“No one said there would be a release tomorrow except the media … We had to make it clear that no release is planned before Friday, because of the uncertainty that hostages’ families are facing,” Israel’s public broadcaster Kan quoted a source in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office as saying.

The Israeli government, early on Wednesday (Nov 22), approved an agreement to free roughly 50 hostages who were abducted into the Gaza Strip during the Palestinian militant group Hamas’ onslaught on Oct 7, in exchange for the release of imprisoned Palestinian women and minors.

“The government approved the broad outlines of the first stage of an agreement under which at least 50 kidnapped people — women and children — will be released over four days during which there will be a lull in the fighting,” the statement said.

United States President Joe Biden on Wednesday spoke with the leaders of Qatar, Israel, and Egypt about the hostages after the agreement was signed between Israel and Hamas, the White House said.

All three conversations concerned “the deal to secure the release of hostages taken by Hamas during its brutal assault against Israel on October 7 and the latest developments in the region,” the White House said.

Biden and Qatar Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani “committed to remain in close contact to ensure the deal is fully implemented,” the White House said in a readout of the call.

“They reiterated the importance of protecting civilian lives, respecting international humanitarian law and increasing and sustaining humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in Gaza,” it said.

Biden also spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and assured him his country’s support in securing the release of all the remaining hostages.

“The President further emphasized the importance of maintaining calm along the Lebanese border as well as in the West Bank,” the White House said.

(With inputs from agencies)