No hostage release will start before Friday, says Israel

The release of hostages under a temporary truce between Israel and Hamas will not happen before Friday, Israel's national security adviser said.

Head of Israel's National Security Council, Tzachi Hanegbi, confirmed in a statement that talks on the specific details of the deal were still ongoing. "The (hostage) release will begin according to the original agreement, and not before Friday," he said.

In the early hours of Wednesday morning, the Israeli government voted to accept the Qatar-mediated deal with Hamas for hostage release and a temporary ceasefire.

Hamas also confirmed an agreement had been reached, calling it a “humanitarian truce” in which 150 Palestinian women and children would be freed from Israeli jails.

The hostages will be released in smaller groups over four days, during which "there will be a pause in the fighting," said the statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office, adding that the release of every additional 10 hostages will result in one additional day in the pause.

Israel announced on Wednesday that it will resume its offensive in the Gaza Strip immediately after the implementation of the newly clinched truce deal to release hostages.

"We are at war with Hamas, a war that was launched with the October 7 Hamas massacre and that will continue," said Eylon Levy, spokesperson for the Israeli government, during a press conference.

Levy said that the war will "immediately" resume after the full implementation of the truce deal and the release of the hostages planned under the agreement. 

During the truce, both Israel and Hamas will cease fighting. The conflict inflicted massive destruction in Gaza, including entire neighborhoods razed by Israeli strikes and the reported death toll of at least 14,532 people, primarily civilians, according to official Palestinian figures. Israeli data indicate approximately 1,200 casualties, with around 240 others held as hostages during the Hamas attacks in southern Israel that triggered the conflict.

International support on truce deal

China welcomes the temporary ceasefire agreement reached by relevant parties and hopes this will help ease the humanitarian crisis, deescalate the conflict and cool down the tensions, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Wednesday.

"We welcome the agreement and hope this will help ease the humanitarian crisis, deescalate the conflict, and cool down the tensions," Mao said.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomes the agreement reached by Israel and Hamas on the release of hostages, with the mediation of Qatar supported by Egypt and the United States, said his spokesman on Wednesday.

"This is an important step in the right direction. But much more needs to be done," said Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for Guterres.

Qatar's prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, expressed hope that the deal would lead to a permanent ceasefire and initiate "serious talks" on resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 

Arab League (AL) Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit welcomed the newly reached humanitarian truce between Israel and the Palestinian armed faction Hamas in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday. He also expressed hope that it would evolve into "a comprehensive ceasefire" in the besieged enclave. 

Aboul-Gheit emphasized that "the only way" to break the recurring cycles of violence in the Middle East is to pursue a comprehensive political solution to the Palestinian issue based on the two-state solution.

(With input from agencies)