HOSTAGES RELEASE DELAYED - THEREFORE FIGHTING CONTINUES AND ISRAEL CLAIMS THAT THEY HIT 300 TARGETS IN GAZA BEFORE THE "TRUCE" BEGINS

 Israel says its offensive in Gaza continues, after a four-day pause in fighting was delayed.The pause was expected to start on Thursday - an Israeli government source says they believe the deal will go ahead on Friday

1. Qatar - which helped broker the deal - says the start time will be announced "within the next few hours"
2. In the first phase of the pause, Hamas will release 50 hostages from Gaza, and Israel will free 150 Palestinian detainees
3. On Thursday morning, Israel said its aerial strikes hit 300 Hamas targets in the past day, including tunnels and weapons sites
4. Meanwhile, UK Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron has arrived in Israel - visiting Kibbutz Be'eri, the sight of a Hamas massacre on 7 October
5. Israel began attacking Gaza after the Hamas attacks last month, which killed 1,200 people and saw about 240 taken hostage
6. Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says more than 14,000 people have been killed in Israel's retaliatory campaign.

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8. Spokesperson says Israeli military in continued state of combat

   

   ReutersCopyright: Reuters

   With all eyes on Gaza and Israel - where there's been a delay to a deal that includes a temporary ceasefire and the release of some hostages - the Israeli military says its forces remain in "a continued state of combat" in Gaza.

   Peter Lerner has told our colleagues over on the BBC News channel that the military will hold fire once the details of the deal are finalised, and "we receive instruction from the government".

   "I think it's important to note that we continue our strikes against Hamas wherever they're hiding," he says. "This is a brutal merciless terrorist organisation ... the paradigm of their existence needs to change."

   Lerner adds that there's a "questionable history" when it comes to Hamas and ceasefires:

   Quote Message: They never seem to hold their fire. So we will be in defensive positions holding our positions, making sure that we are well defended, well-protected."

   They never seem to hold their fire. So we will be in defensive positions holding our positions, making sure that we are well defended, well-protected."

    Israel says it hopes framework of deal will begin tomorrow

   

   Orla Guerin

   Senior international correspondent, in Jerusalem

   I'm hearing more from my Israeli government source now, who says there are "hopes" the framework for a deal between Hamas and Israel will begin tomorrow.

   This is a change in language, which suggests the timeframe may be less certain.

   But this is a fast moving situation, and Qatar - the key mediator - has said that the timing of the deal will be announced in the coming hours. (The deal includes a pause in fighting, the freeing of some Israeli hostages being held by Hamas and the release of some Palestinian detainees from Israel.)

   It may be that delays in gathering the hostages together in Gaza are slowing things down, but that's uncertain.

9. IDF reports exchanges of fire over border with Lebanon

   An update now from the north of Israel where for weeks now there has been heavy exchanges of fire over the border with Lebanon.

   Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Daniel Hagari has posted on X saying an aircraft "spotted and attacked" an anti-tank squad in the Zerait area.

   At the same time, the IDF attacked the squad with artillery, he adds.

   Overnight, a surface-to-air missile was launched at an IDF aircraft in Lebanese territory, he says, adding that the missile was "successfully intercepted" by Israeli air defence fighters.

   Hagari says that in response , an IDF aircraft attacked the launcher from which the missile was launched".

10. EVEN MORE DETAIL AT: Israel Gaza live news: Israel says it hits 300 targets in Gaza as pause in fighting delayed - BBC News