The release of the hostages in the context of a temporary truce between Israel and the militants of the Islamist Palestinian organization Hamas it will not take place before tomorrow, FridayIsrael’s national security adviser and the US announced, dashing the hopes of relatives that some might be released today.

Israel and Hamas agreed early yesterday, Wednesday, to a ceasefire in Gaza for at least four days; to allow humanitarian aid to arrive and release at least 50 hostages held by militants in the enclave in exchange for the release of at least 150 Palestinians imprisoned in Israel.

The time for the start of the ceasefire and the release of the hostages, taken by Hamas during the October 7 attack on Israel, has not yet been officially announced. A source in the Egyptian security forces said mediators had sought to start the process at 10am today. (local time and Greek time).

A Palestinian official told AFP today that the truce was delayed due to “last-minute” talks about “the names of Israeli hostages and how they will be handed over” to a third party.

“Qatar, in coordination with the Egyptians and the Americans, is going to announce today within the next few hours” the start time of the truce, he clarified.

Also speaking this morning, the representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar Majin bin Mohammed Al Ansari said an announcement on the start of the ceasefire could be made within the next few hours. Qatar mediated the ceasefire negotiations.

“Negotiations for the release of our hostages are progressing and ongoing,” Israeli National Security Adviser Tachi Hanegbi said in a statement issued by the prime minister’s office.

“The start of the release will take place based on the initial agreement between the two sides and not before Friday,” he said.

White House spokeswoman Adrienne Watson stated that final logistical details for the release are being worked out. “This is progressing and hopefully the implementation will begin on Friday morning,” Watson said.

But the fighting did not stop this morning, according to reports.

Palestinian media reported that two waves of Israeli aircraft and artillery strikes hit the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis, killing 15 people. Attacks were also reported in other parts of Gaza, including the Jabaliya and Nuseirat camps.

Israel announced that its forces carried out the previous airstrikes on more than 300 Hamas targets. Reuters notes that it is unable to independently confirm the reports.

In Israel, warning sirens about rockets from Gaza sounded in communities near the border with the enclave, the armed forces said. There are no reports of damage or casualties.

Israeli public broadcaster Kan reported, citing an unnamed Israeli official, that there was a 24-hour delay in the truce because the deal had not been signed by Hamas and Qatar brokered it. The official said they are optimistic that the agreement will be implemented once it is signed.

“No one said there will be a release tomorrow except the media … We had to make it clear that there will be no release before Friday because of the uncertainty facing the families of the hostages,” a source in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said, according to Kan.

Israeli media, citing unnamed officials, also said the pause in the fighting with Hamas would not begin until tomorrow, Friday. Israeli news website Ynet reported that Israel has not yet received the names of the hostages to be released by Hamas.

Netanyahu made no mention of a possible delay in the implementation of the agreement during a press conference he gave late yesterday, Wednesday. Hanegbi’s statement was released about an hour after the press conference.

The US also expressed hope that aid would begin arriving in large quantities in Gaza within the next few days, White House national security spokesman John Kirby said.

The 50 hostages will be released over four days, at a rate of at least 10 a day, Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced. The truce could be extended day by day as another 10 hostages are released each day, the same source added.

The Israeli Ministry of Justice released a list of 300 names of imprisoned Palestinians who could be released.

Hamas announced that the initial 50 hostages would be released in exchange for the release of 150 Palestinian women and children imprisoned in Israel. Hundreds of trucks carrying humanitarian aid, medicine and fuel will enter Gaza, while Israel will halt all airstrikes in southern Gaza and observe a six-hour daily daytime no-fly zone in the north, Hamas said.