Israel-Hamas war Highlights: Egypt’s state-run Qahera TV makes claim about timing of truce

Israel and Hamas have agreed to a four-day temporary ceasefire deal but Arab nations want the truce to be extended, reported Reuters. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud weighed in on the matter.

"Whatever humanitarian access now increases as a result of this hostage deal must remain in place and must be built upon," said Prince Faisal.

"There must at no point be a reduction in this access based on progress for further release of hostages ... Punishing the civilian population of Gaza for the holding of those hostages is absolutely not acceptable," he added

According to a report by AFP, six Palestinians were shot dead on Wednesday during an Israeli raid in the West Bank. Notably, the West Bank is under Israel's occupation since the Six-Day War of 1967.

Palestinian ex-prisoner named Yusif Abu Maria is hoping that his son would be among the imprisoned Palestinians to be freed by Israel as part of the deal with Hamas, according to a report by Reuters.

As per the agreement between Israel and Hamas, 50 hostages held by Hamas will be released in exchange of prisoners imprisoned in Israeli jails.

Some of the hostages are citizens of the U.S., Thailand, Britain, France, Argentina, Germany, Chile, Spain and Portugal. According to a report by Reuters, up to 40 hostages being held are children, including a 10-month-old baby and preschoolers.

Earlier, four hostages were released by Hamas: U.S. citizens Judith Raanan, 59, and her daughter, Natalie Raanan, 17, on October 20, citing "humanitarian reasons," and Israeli women Nurit Cooper, 79, and Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, on October 23.

Later, Israeli forces freed one hostage named Ori Megidish on October 30.

Israel expects to recover on Thursday the first hostages being freed from the Gaza Strip by Hamas under a foreign mediated deal, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen told Army Radio.

Interviewed on Wednesday, he declined to confirm a report that the process would begin at 5 a.m. (as reported by Reuters )

Relatives of hostages seized from Israel by Palestinian militants said Wednesday they were "very happy" some of them were set to be released after a truce deal between Israel and Hamas.

"We are very happy that a partial release is pending," the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement. "As of now, we don't know exactly who will be released when." (as reported by AFP )

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mao Ning expressed hope that the deal "will help to alleviate the difficult humanitarian crisis, de-escalate the conflict and ease tensions."

According to a report by AFP, the hostage release deal and truce became possible due to the efforts put up by the US Central Intelligence Agency, Israel's overseas spy agency Mossad, Egyptian intelligence, and leaders in Doha, Cairo, Washington, Gaza and Israel.

Earlier, Gaza resident Hamza Abdel Razeq said he would welcome any ceasefire agreement, hoping it would bring some respite.

"The people are really suffering," he told AFP. "I believe it will pave the way for longer truces or even a total ceasefire."

Another Gaza resident, Mahmud Abu Najm, said: "We... pray to God for its success because the people are enduring an unbearable situation." ( as reported by AFP)

According to a report by AFP, here are the key points of the hostage release deal.

• Four-day truce after weeks of all-out war.
• 50 hostages held by Hamas, to be released.
• 150 Palestinians to be released from Israeli jails.

Pope Francis on Wednesday met separately with Israeli relatives of hostages held by Hamas and Palestinians with family in Gaza and said the conflict had gone beyond war to become "terrorism".

Speaking in unscripted remarks at his Wednesday general audience in St. Peter's Square shortly after the early morning meetings in his residence, Francis said he heard directly how "both sides are suffering". (as reported by Reuters)

Fury over the damage wrought by Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack that left 1,200 dead, and an Israeli response that authorities in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip say has killed thousands since, hung over the negotiators. The hurdles included demands to provide proof-of-life details for the hostages and questions over the practicality of Israeli forces remaining in Gaza during a pause in battle.

“There were some very difficult moments, the agreement was nearly sabotaged because of events on the ground,” said Majed Al-Ansari, a spokesperson for Qatar’s ministry of foreign affairs. (as reported by Bloomberg)

France on Wednesday welcomed the Israel-Hamas truce deal, hailing the work of Qatar in securing the agreement and saying it hoped that French nationals would be among the hostages released.

"We hope that there are French" among the hostages that Hamas will free, Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said on France Inter radio, adding "we hope so and we're working hard toward it". (as reported by AFP)

A Palestinian news agency reported that a total of six Palestinians were killed in West Bank's Tolkurm in an Israeli drone strike. Another Palestinian was killed by Israeli forces near the city of Qalqilia, WAFA said, raising the number of Palestinians killed in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday to seven.

Terming it a ‘crucial step’ towards providing relief and addressing humanitarian crises, the UK has welcomed the truce deal between Israel and Hamas. "This agreement is a crucial step towards providing relief to the families of the hostages and addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza," Foreign Secretary David Cameron said in a statement.

After the truce deal agreement between Israel and Hamas, Jordan said it hoped that it would be a step that would end the war in Gaza. In a statement on state media, the foreign ministry said it hoped the four-day pause in fighting agreed between the Israel's government and Hamas will allow much-needed humanitarian aid into the besieged enclave.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has welcomed the foreign-mediated humanitarian deal between his Islamist Hamas rivals and Israel in the Gaza Strip, and called for wider solutions to the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The President's administration, based in the occupied West Bank, "appreciate(s) the Qatari-Egyptian (mediation) effort", wants an extended truce with Israel and "the implementation of a political solution based on international legitimacy," a social media post by senior Palestinian aide Hussein Al-Sheikh said.

The Israel's justice ministry released the details of detained Palestinians slated for release in exchange for almost 50 hostages held in Gaza. According to Reuters, the list appeared to have names of 300 detainees.