National Security Council chief Tzachi Hanegbi said late Wednesday that hostages held in Gaza will not be release on Thursday despite Hamas officials declaring a truce will come into effect in the morning hours.
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"Negotiations for the release of our captives are ongoing and continuous. The release will commence according to the original agreement between the parties, not before Friday," he said in a statement.
An Israeli source clarified in a conversation with French news agency AFP that alongside the delay in release of the captives, the cease-fire with Hamas will also be postponed and will not begin before Friday.
The families of the captives, already enduring extremely stressful days, were updated about Hanegbi’s announcement through the media.
A source familiar with the matter told Ynet that the delay in the release of the hostages stems from Israel not yet receiving the names of those supposed to be released, describing these as "last-minute delays."
It was also noted that the mechanism for the release has not been finalized with Hamas. Therefore, according to the original understandings, the release is supposed to start only on Friday. It is estimated that the release will begin around 7am on Friday, but no exact time has been committed to.
A source in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office claimed that the person responsible for the reports that the captive exchange deal would be implemented on Thursday morning was senior Hamas figure Musa Abu Marzouk.
According to the source, "Currently, there is no cease-fire. The one who estimated it would start on Thursday was Abu Marzouk. But the list of captives wasn't delivered, and the agreement wasn't signed."
A political source added that "according to assessments by political and security officials, these delays can be resolved within about 24 hours."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday night that the hostage release deal with Hamas does not mark the end of the war.
"We are committed to continuing until all our goals are met: securing the return of all our hostages, eradicating Hamas and ensuring that no group supporting terrorism, indoctrinating its children to terror or paying terrorists and their families, takes control in Gaza," he told a joint press conference with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Minister Benny Gantz.
"Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel. We will restore security both to the south and the north."
He noted that the hostage release deal will include Red Cross teams visiting captives held in the Gaza Strip. "We held tough negotiations. The framework includes an agreement for Red Cross visits, and I expect them to do their job," he said, adding that "A military operation isn't always feasible, so we are not waiting. The return of the hostages is a sacred mission."
He stressed that Israeli troops "won't stand there like sheep" in case the cease-fire is broken and terrorists launch attacks against them.
"First and foremost, soldiers have a standing instruction - if you face a threat to your life, take action. Neutralizing a threat doesn't require policy decisions. We will act wisely, and at the end of the [truce] period we have set, we will return to war. There might be violations, and then we won't stand there like sheep. If the framework is breached - we know what to do."
Netanyahu also revealed that a 2011 prisoner exchange deal with Hamas for the release of a captive IDF soldier was tied to Israeli efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
"The greatest danger I see to our existence comes ultimately from the axis of terror and evil led by Iran. The biggest threat is that Iran could have nuclear weapons that would pose an even more horrific threat than we can imagine,” he said.
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Netanyahu (left) greets IDF soldier Gilad Shalit (center) after his release from Hamas captivity
(Photo: GPO)
“To stop this, I have done many things, some of which are connected to the Shalit deal, and a day will come when I will speak about it in more detail."
Netanyahu was referring to an agreement reached in 2011 between Israel and Hamas for the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who had been captured by Hamas in 2006. In exchange for Shalit's freedom, Israel released 1,027 Palestinian prisoners, many of whom were convicted of perpetrating terrorist acts.
Defense Minister Gallant emphasized that despite the agreement, Israel will “intensify [its] efforts to free additional hostages" after the cease-fire, without expanding on what that would entail.
Minister Gantz issued a stern warning to Hezbollah in Lebanon after weeks of cross-border violence.
"What is happening now in northern Gaza could also happen in southern Lebanon; what happened to Gaza could happen to Beirut,” he said.
“We are aware of Iran's attempts to challenge us - no attack on Israel's border will go unanswered. IDF soldiers are fighting bravely, with tens of thousands deployed across the country and its borders. We all stand with them, ready for the continuation of the war."
First published: 23:11, 11.22.23