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Hopes for a reunion between some hostages and their families Thursday were quelled after an Israeli official no hostage release will take place before Friday.
AFP
The Israel-Hamas war is on its 48th day, and a ceasefire that Hamas said would begin Thursday morning has reportedly been delayed due to last-minute issues.
Israel also said no hostages will be freed before Friday.
Israel and Hamas reached an agreement Wednesday to release 50 hostages – women and children – for a four-day truce in the fighting. The terror group said the deal includes the release of 150 Palestinian women and minors.
As fighting also continues near Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, Iran-backed paramilitary group Hezbollah confirmed that the son of a senior Hezbollah official, alongside four other fighters, has been killed.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with his Saudi counterpart amid growing fears about the regional escalation of Israel-Palestine tensions that have drawn attacks into Israel from other militant groups, including Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
Questions have been rife about the future of the Gaza Strip when the war ends, and U.S. President Joe Biden once again reiterated his commitment to a two-state solution where Hamas can no longer threaten both Israelis and Palestinians.