Israel-Hamas war: Gaza hostages will not be released before Friday, says senior Israeli official

A four-day ceasefire in Gaza set to begin on Friday will allow for the release of 50 hostages, the delivery of desperately needed humanitarian aid, and a brief respite from the relentless bombardment of the densely populated territory for more than two million civilians.

But what happens when it ends?

The short answer is that the war will continue, and it may be even bloodier than before. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu put it bluntly on Wednesday during a live address about the hostage deal. “The war continues,” he said. “We continue until we have achieved complete victory.”

“I traveled yesterday and this was literally one of the hardest decisions that I took,” she wrote in the caption under an Instagram video on Wednesday. “I hope this nightmare ends and I’ll be back in Gaza soon.”

She made the decision to leave for the safety of her family, fearing that her reporting and role as a journalist could put her family’s life in danger, she said.

My colleague Alex Woodward has more:

The release of hostages under a temporary truce between Israel and Palestinian Hamas militants will not happen before Friday, Israel’s national security adviser and the US said, dashing hopes of relatives that some would be freed on Thursday.

Israel and Hamas agreed early on Wednesday to a ceasefire in Gaza for at least four days, to let in humanitarian aid and free at least 50 hostages held by militants in the enclave in exchange for at least 150 Palestinians jailed in Israel.

The starting time of the truce and release of hostages captured by Hamas during its 7 October attack on Israel has yet to be officially announced. An Egyptian security source said mediators had sought a start time of 10am on Thursday.

White House spokesperson Adrienne Watson said final logistical details for the release were being worked out. “That is on track and we are hopeful that implementation will begin on Friday morning,” Ms Watson said.

The mastermind of the Hamas attack on Israel that triggered the worst Israeli-Palestinian bloodshed in generations is a secretive figure, feared on both sides of the battle lines.

Since Hamas fighters carried out the deadliest attack on Israel in decades, Israeli officials have vowed to crush the Palestinian militant group and its enigmatic leader in Gaza.

There is relief that moves are being made to bring those being held captive back, writes our World Affairs Editor Kim Sengupta. But some relatives are worried about the fragility of the agreement, while others fear not everyone will come home.

Israeli military officials have shown a group of international journalists a small living quarters they found in a tunnel underneath Al Shifa Hospital, claiming that the space had been used by Hamas militants.

The negotiations hardly ran smoothly. But in the end, persistence paid off.

Six weeks ago, not long after Hamas killed more than 1,200 Israelis and took scores of others hostage in a surprise assault, the government of Qatar quietly reached out to the United States to discuss how to release those who had been taken captive by the militant group.

But the mission demanded extreme sensitivity. It was so secret that US officials established a communications cell to reach Hamas directly, and kept those negotiations tightly guarded throughout the US government. Only a handful of people were aware of the talks, according to a senior White House official.

For weeks through the cell, which allowed the small circle of negotiators to speak regularly without additional bureaucracy, US and Israeli officials would scramble to put together a deal that would release dozens of hostages held by Hamas.

At least 50 women and children captured by militants are expected to be gradually released over a four-day period in exchange for a halt in fighting and the release of 150 Palestinian women and children jailed in Israel.

Hamas said hundreds of trucks carrying humanitarian aid – including fuel – would be allowed to enter Gaza. Israeli diplomatic sources told The Independent the ceasefire could be extended by a day for every additional 10 or so additional hostages released. In exchange, there will also be more Palestinians released.

Our chief international correspondent Bel Trew reports:

Mohamed Hussein told The Independent that Stuart Seldowitz’s insults about his Islamic faith and threats against his family in Egypt were entirely unprovoked.

Oscar-winning actor Susan Sarandon and “Scream” star Melissa Barrera were each dropped by Hollywood companies after making comments on the Israel-Hamas war that some deemed antisemitic.

Spyglass Media Group, the production company behind the upcoming “Scream VII,” acknowledged Barrera’s exit from the horror franchise.

The Mexican-born actress, who starred in “In the Heights” and the two recent “Scream” installments, had posted statements on Instagram Stories calling the war “genocide and ethnic cleansing.”

“Gaza,” she wrote, “is currently being treated like a concentration camp.

”Spyglass said in a statement that its position “is unequivocally clear: We have zero tolerance for antisemitism or the incitement of hate in any form, including false references to genocide, ethnic cleansing, Holocaust distortion or anything that flagrantly crosses the line into hate speech.”

Late on Wednesday, Barrera posted a statement on Instagram Stories about her firing.

“First and foremost I condemn antisemitism and Islamophobia. I condemn hate and prejudice of any kind against any group of people,” she wrote.“I believe a group of people are NOT their leadership, and that no governing body should be above criticism,” she added.

“I pray day and night for no more deaths, for no more violence, and for peaceful co-existence. I will continue to speak out for those that need it most and continue to advocate for peace and safety, for human rights and freedom.”