Israel-Palestine live: Israel says 39 more Palestinians freed under truce deal

The Palestinian health ministry has said that there are still 200 wounded Palestinians stuck at Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza, according to news reports from Palestinian media outlets.

The hospital has been under siege by Israeli forces this week.

Qatar's foreign ministry spokesperson Majid bin Mohammed al-Ansari said on Thursday morning that an announcement on the beginning of the truce could come in the next few hours.

Qatar has been mediating in the negotiations on the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel.

An Israeli strike on southern Lebanon killed five Hezbollah fighters, including the son of a Lebanese member of parliament, Reuters reported citing Hezbollah and three sources with knowledge of the situation.

The group announced on late Wednesday night that five of its members were killed, bringing the total toll of Hezbollah fighters killed since violence broke out along the border to 85.

Among those named as having been killed was Abbas Raad. Sources told the news agency he was the son of senior Hezbollah figure and member of parliament Mohammad Raad.

Two Hezbollah sources and one security source told Reuters that the five were killed in an Israeli strike on the village of Beit Yahoun.

In a statement, the Israeli military said it struck Hezbollah infrastructure in Lebanon, but did not immediately provide comment on reports that multiple people had been killed.

Hend Sabry, a Tunisian actress, has announced she is stepping down from her role as Goodwill Ambassador for the World Food Programme (WFP), citing the ongoing war in Gaza.

"Today a pause in fighting was announced in Gaza. But in the end, it is too little too late. More than 14,000 people were killed, more than 1.6 million are homeless, half the buildings destroyed," she said in a social media post announcing her resignation.

Israeli forces bombed a residential area in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, killing at least 15 Palestinians and injuring a number of others, according to several Palestinian news outlets.

The reports also said that there were many people missing under the rubble.

Martin Griffiths, the UN humanitarian and relief coordinator, has described the current destruction and death in Gaza as the worst he has ever seen in his entire career.

Speaking in an interview with CNN, Griffiths said that Gaza was a "global crisis", and that he was terrified to see that "war has become the obsession of the day".

"No, I don't think I've seen anything like this before. It's complete and utter carnage," he said.

With Israel saying that the release of captives would not happen before Friday, Israeli aircraft launched a number of strikes across Gaza from north to south on Wednesday night and Thursday morning.

The Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that Israeli fighter jets targeted areas in Khan Younis, which resulted in the death of one Palestinian.

In Beit Lahia, Jabalia, and Beit Hanoun in the north of Gaza, air strikes killed and injured dozens of Palestinians, according to Wafa.

New York police have arrested Stuart Seldowitz, a former US State Department official, after he was captured on video calling an Egyptian halal street vendor a terrorist and saying the death of 4,000 Palestinian children "wasn't enough".

Seldowitz, 64, was arrested on charges of aggravated harassment, hate crime stalking, stalking causing fear, and stalking at a place of employment, police said in a statement.

"A 24-year-old male victim stated to police that an individual approached him at his work place multiple times and made anti-Islamic statements multiple times on different dates causing the victim to feel afraid and annoyed," police said, as reported by Reuters.

Three videos have surfaced online in recent days showing Seldowitz launching racist tirades against a New York City food truck vendor. In one of the videos posted on X, Seldowitz threatens a food vendor with deportation back to Egypt and potential torture at the hands of the country’s notorious intelligence services.

US Central Command, the military division that covers the Middle East, said one of its warships downed "one-way attack drones" that were launched from areas of Yemen controlled by the Houthis.

The drones were downed while the ship was patrolling the Red Sea, Centcom said.

The news comes days after the Houthis seized a ship in the Red Sea using an aircraft displaying the Palestinian flag, prompting concerns of a wider escalation in the war in Gaza.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has held a series of calls with the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, according to the State Department.

During the call with UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Blinken welcomed the deal to release captives held by Hamas in Gaza and reaffirmed the importance of addressing the humanitarian needs in Gaza.

And in a call with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to preventing a widening of the conflict, according to the State Department.

As the expected ceasefire between Hamas and Israel has been delayed until at least Friday, Israel continues to bombard the besieged enclave.

Here are some scenes from southern Gaza today, which has seen intense Israeli bombardment over the past few days:

Israel's national security adviser said the release of captives under the temporary truce between Hamas and Israel will not happen before Friday.

Israel and Hamas had agreed early on Wednesday to a ceasefire in Gaza for at least four days, to let in humanitarian aid and free at least 50 captives held by Hamas and armed Palestinian groups in the enclave in exchange for at least 150 Palestinians jailed in Israel.

"The negotiations on the release of our hostages are advancing and continuing constantly," Israeli National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi said in a statement released by the prime minister's office.

"The start of the release will take place according to the original agreement between the sides, and not before Friday," it said.

Israeli media outlets are reporting that the truce will not begin on Thursday morning and would be delayed until details of the captive deal are finalised.

The news, which Middle East Eye cannot independently verify, would delay the temporary ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas that was mediated by Qatar.

A source in the Israeli government told the Times of Israel that it was not clear whether the head of Mossad has received the names of the captives that are to be released first.

Barak Ravid, a reporter with Axios and Israel's Channel 13 News, said on X that "Israeli national security adviser says the hostages won't be release[d] before Friday".

Israeli public broadcaster Kan stated there would be "war tomorrow".

Good evening Middle East Eye readers,

A temporary pause in fighting has been agreed between Hamas and Israel, which will see 50 Israeli hostages released from Gaza in exchange for at least 150 Palestinians held in Israeli detention.

Hundreds of aid trucks are also set to enter the Gaza Strip, as residents get a respite to the violence, which has seen the number of Palestinians killed cross 14,000, including at least 5,840 children.

Israeli national security advisor Tzachi Hanegbi said “the start of the release will proceed according to the original agreement between the parties, and not before Friday".

The announcement appeared to squash Hamas’ announcement that a ceasefire could start as early as Thursday.

In other updates:

• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he ordered the Mossad to take action against Hamas leaders wherever they are, according to US-based journalist Barak Ravid.

• The Saudi foreign minister told his US counterpart the “Kingdom's categorical rejection of the forced displacement of the residents of Gaza, and the importance of the international community moving seriously and effectively to confront all the ongoing violations of the Israeli occupation forces and their repeated violations of international law and international humanitarian law".

• During a press conference, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it's been agreed that humanitarian workers from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) will be allowed to visit the remaining hostages in Gaza.

• The International Commission of Jurists, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have called for an international gathering to ensure compliance with the Geneva Conventions.