Israel-Hamas ceasefire will not start 'before Friday': Reports

There will be "no pause" in the fighting, the source told the agency.

The agency also cited another source as saying that the ceasefire had been expected to start at 10:00 a.m. local time (08:00 GMT).

An Israeli source has told Israeli newspaper Haaretz that there would be no stop to the fighting in Gaza until the timeline for the agreement with Hamas is finalized.

On October 7, Hamas launched a surprise large-scale rocket attack against Israel from the Gaza Strip and breached the border, killing around 1,200 people and abducting over 200 others in neighboring Israeli communities.

Israel launched retaliatory strikes and ordered a complete blockade of the Gaza Strip, cutting off supplies of water, food, and fuel.

On October 27, Israel launched a large-scale ground incursion inside the Gaza Strip with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing the hostages.

The conflict has resulted in the deaths of over 14,500 people in the Gaza Strip.

On Wednesday, Israel and Hamas confirmed that they had agreed to a four-day ceasefire in Gaza, with the cessation of all hostilities and the release of 50 Israeli hostages in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners.