The hostage release in Gaza has been delayed, according to a top Israeli official. Originally, the plan was for Hamas to release the Israelis it kidnapped on October 7 during its surprise attack on Israel on Thursday.

Now, it appears the transfer will take place on Friday, assuming everything proceeds as planned.

In an apparent delay, National Security Council chairman Tzachi Hanegbi announces that the first hostages will not be released until Friday.

Senior Hamas official Moussa Abu Marzouk said earlier today that the deal would go into effect at 10 a.m. on Thursday and hours later, a senior Israeli official briefing reporters on condition of anonymity confirmed as much.

But Hanegbi, in his latest statement, says that “the negotiations for the release of our hostages are constantly progressing.”

“The release will begin according to the original agreement between the parties, and not before Friday,” he adds.

The delay is due to Israel not yet receiving the names of those set to be released and the need to finalize how the hostages will be released. It is estimated that the release will start at about 7 a.m. on Friday, but no official time has yet been confirmed. Moreover, the truce document must still be signed by both parties, which is expected to happen within the next 24 hours.

On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized, during a press conference alongside Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Minister Benny Gantz, that the release of hostages does not mean the war is ending, and reaffirmed Israel’s commitment to eliminating Hamas while retrieving the hostages. He said:

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.

RedState’s Streiff on Tuesday reported about the original tentative ceasefire agreement, which is characterized as a “lull in the fighting.”

The Prime Minister’s Office issues a formal statement confirming the cabinet’s decision early this morning to approve the first hostage deal of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

“The Israeli government is committed to bringing all the abductees home. Tonight, the government approved the outline for the first stage of achieving this goal, under which at least 50 abductees – women and children – will be released over a span of four days, during which there will be a lull in the fighting,” the statement says.

“The release of every ten additional abductees will result in an additional day of respite,” it adds.

“The Israeli government, the IDF and the security forces will continue the war to return all the abductees, complete the elimination of Hamas and ensure that Gaza does not renew any threat to the State of Israel.”

The situation in Gaza remains fluid, but so far, it appears that both sides are close to reaching a mutually agreeable outcome. However, the delay in the release of hostages further highlights the complexity of the negotiations. Still, as Netanyahu said, Israel is still focused on its primary objective: The destruction of Hamas.