The release of the first hostages under the agreement between Israel and Hamas has been postponed, just hours before the anticipated start of a hard-won ceasefire. Israel's National Security Council announced that the first group of hostages will not be released until Friday, and an Israeli official informed CNN that the agreed temporary truce in fighting has also been postponed until Friday.
Negotiations for the release of our hostages are progressing and ongoing. The release process will commence as per the initial agreement between both parties, no earlier than Friday, according to the statement.
Israel and Hamas had agreed to a ceasefire for four days and the release of at least 50 women and children among the 230 hostages held in Gaza. An Israeli official informed CNN that the ceasefire was scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. local time (3 a.m. ET) on Thursday.
Qatar announced on Thursday morning local time that it will soon reveal the start time of the truce between Israel and Hamas. According to a statement by the Qatari Foreign Ministry's spokesperson Majed Al Ansari, talks to implement the hostage deal are continuing and showing positive progress.
"The two parties, along with our partners in Egypt and the US, are actively working to swiftly implement the truce and provide the necessary support to ensure both parties uphold the agreement," the statement emphasized. Similar sentiments have been expressed by American officials regarding ongoing planning.
A statement from a US National Security Council spokesperson emphasized late Wednesday that the hostage deal is still in place. The spokesperson added that the parties are finalizing logistical details, especially for the first day of implementation.
NSC spokesperson Adrienne Watson stated, "We believe that no detail should be overlooked as the hostages start to return home. Our main goal is to guarantee their safe return. Everything is progressing as planned and we are optimistic that implementation will commence on Friday morning."
An Israeli official familiar with the situation minimized its severity, attributing it to "relatively minor implementation details."
However, another official informed CNN that one factor was that Israel had not yet been provided with the names of the initial hostages to be released by Hamas.
At a press conference on Wednesday evening, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed confidence that the agreement would soon be in effect, despite providing few details about its implementation. However, Israeli officials and analysts have consistently warned that the deal would remain fragile until the hostages were safely across the border.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conducted ground and air operations in Gaza on Wednesday despite the anticipated truce, targeting the north-eastern, central, and southern areas of the Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian reports. Daniel Hagari, a spokesman for the Israeli army, referred to the impending truce as a "complicated process" that has not yet been confirmed during a briefing on Wednesday before the delay was declared.
"He added that the process may be time-consuming and involve multiple stages."
The agreement represented a significant diplomatic achievement, coming almost seven weeks after the conflict began, resulting in a severe humanitarian crisis in the region. The announcement brought relief and increased hope to the families of the hostages.
Key negotiator Qatar has proposed a deal that would result in the release of hostages held captive by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian women and children in Israeli jails. Additionally, the truce would facilitate the entry of more humanitarian convoys and relief aid. While there is a possibility of the pause lasting up to 10 days, Israeli officials remain skeptical of its longevity.
Netanyahu announced that for every 10 additional hostages released, there will be an additional day of fighting paused. According to the Israeli military, Hamas is currently holding 236 hostages in Gaza, including foreign nationals from 26 different countries. The mass abductions occurred on October 7 when Hamas militants conducted a coordinated and deadly surprise attack, resulting in around 1,200 people killed - the largest attack on Israel since its founding in 1948.
Before the deal, only a few hostages had been set free. In response to the attack, Israel declared war on Hamas, implemented a blockade on Gaza that restricted access to essential supplies, and initiated a continuous air and ground attack. Data from the Palestinian health ministry in the West Bank, based on information from Hamas-run health authorities, indicates that 12,700 people have died in Gaza since October 7.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
CNNs Becky Anderson, Mostafa Salem, Kaitlan Collins, Matthew Chance, Oren Liebermann, Tamar Michaelis and MJ Lee contributed to this report.
