Discussions between Israel and Hamas on the release of civilians held by each side continue, meaning the release will not happen before Friday, Tzachi Hanegbi, Israel’s national security advisor said late Wednesday, the Associated Press reports.
Under the agreement as it stands now and has been approved by both parties, a four-day ceasefire will begin Thursday morning, after which Hamas will begin to release 50 of the estimated 240 hostages it’s holding over the remaining three days of the truce and Israel will release some Palestinian prisoners. There are provisions to extend the ceasefire, which will be the first break from attacks for Palestine’s civilian population in Gaza, since Hamas’s October 7th attack.
While initial reports of the hostage release talks included a provision that could extend the truce for as long as the two sides continued releasing civilians they hold, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly told President Joe Biden that Israel intends to resume attacks in Gaza after the initial four-day truce ends.