A senior US official tells CNN that the decision to delay the implementation of the hostage deal by a day, to Friday, was made by Israel together with Qatar and Egypt and that the US was in the loop, writes The Times Of Israel.
The official says more time was needed to finalize details and to “minimize things going wrong,’ CNN reports.
According to the deal, Hamas will free 50 Israeli hostages — children, their mothers, and other women — for a four-day lull in fighting and the release of 150 Palestinian prisoners, women and minors.
The US official says there is no cause for concern yet as Israel had not yet received the names of the first group of hostages to be released, a move that was expected Wednesday night. The official said worry would be warranted if there was still no list by Thursday night.
Earlier, US National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson insisted that the agreement will still move forward and “hopefully” be implemented on Friday morning.
“The deal was agreed and remains agreed,” Watson said in a statement. “The parties are working out final logistical details, particularly for the first day of implementation.”
“It is our view that nothing should be left to chance as the hostages begin coming home,” Watson said. “Our primary objective is to ensure that they are brought home safely.”
“That is on track and we are hopeful that implementation will begin on Friday morning.”
An Israeli official earlier attributed the delay to the sides having not yet signed onto a document enshrining the agreement while a second source told The Times of Israel that the mechanism for releasing the hostages had not yet been finalized and Hamas had not yet provided a list of the first batch of hostages it planned to release as expected.
Both sources expressed optimism that the deal would go into place on Friday morning.