Israel-Hamas hostage release deal delayed; White House says war to continue after truce period

The Israeli official gave no particular reason for the delay in implementing the hostage deal.

Published on: Nov 23, 2023, 07:57:10 IST

By HT News Desk

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A day after making a significant diplomatic breakthrough to attain a truce deal with Hamas, Israel said the ceasefire pact would not take effect before Friday. It was earlier expected that both sides would temporarily halt crossfire beginning Thursday.

Israeli troops man a position during a military operation in the northern Gaza Strip (AFP)

While making the announcement, Israel's national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi gave no reason for the delay. However, media reports suggest there were still some last-minute details being ironed out.

Also read: Arab nations say Israel-Hamas truce should be extended, aid ramped up

As per the deal, Hamas is to free over a four-day period at least 50 of the roughly 240 hostages taken in its October 7 attack on Israel, and Israel is to release some Palestinian prisoners in exchange.

Meanwhile, in line with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the White House said war against Hamas will continue after the multi-day truce ends.

Israel's public broadcaster Kan reported citing an unidentified official that the delay is taking place because the agreement was not signed by Hamas and mediator Qatar.
White House spokesperson John Kirby said Hamas still poses a threat and the war against the Palestinian Islamist group will continue after the deal ends. “The fight is not over. The war is not over. The threat that Hamas poses is still real and still viable to the Israeli people,” he said.
PM Netanyahu said at a presser that he instructed Israel's intelligence agency Mossad to act against the heads of Hamas wherever they are, adding that the truce deal has ‘no obligation’ that it would apply against targeting Hamas chiefs, who are presumed to be situated abroad.
The Palestinian ambassador to the UN called for a ‘definitive end’ to the war in Gaza, warning that a truce to release hostages "cannot be just a pause before the massacre starts all over again." “Hundreds of Palestinian children will not be killed thanks to this truce…We owe it to them and to all the civilians in the Gaza Strip to put a definitive end to this criminal assault on the Palestinian people,” ambassador Riyad Mansour said.
The son of a senior Hezbollah member among five were killed in an Israeli airstrike in south Lebanon.

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