Gaza hostage release, truce delayed: Israeli official

Israel's national security advisor announced late Wednesday that the deal for the release of hostages in Gaza in exchange for a temporary truce has been postponed until Friday at the earliest, reported Xinhua.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government voted to accept the deal early on Wednesday and announced that the truce would come into effect on Thursday.

Under the proposed deal, at least 50 Israeli hostages would be freed in return for the release of at least 150 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli custody and the entry of desperately-needed humanitarian aid into Gaza.

However, Israel's National Security Council Director Tzachi Hanegbi said late Wednesday that the hostage release "will take place according to the original agreement between the sides, and not before Friday."

Meanwhile, the Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip has risen to 14,532 since the outbreak of the Hamas-Israel conflict on Oct. 7, the Hamas-run government media office said Wednesday, reported Xinhua.

Ismael al-Thawabta, director of the office, said during a press conference that among the deceased were 6,000 children and 4,000 women, adding that more than 35,000 people have been injuried.

The victims included 205 medical personnel, 22 people from civil defense teams, and 64 journalists, according to al-Thawabta.

Over 7,000 people have been reported missing, and more than 4,700 of them were children and women, he said.