Hamas says pause in Gaza fighting to begin at 10 am on Thursday

BBC updates:

THE four-day pause in fighting between Israel and Hamas will begin at 10am on Thursday, Hamas says.

Israel has not yet commented on when the pause will begin, but Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said he expected the first hostages to be received on Thursday.

Under the agreement, 50 Israeli hostages taken by Hamas will be released and 150 Palestinian women and teenagers held in Israeli jails freed.

Families of those held in Gaza have said every captive "needs to come home" and that each hour is "critical".

Up to another 150 Palestinians could be released - as well as another 50 hostages from Gaza - after the initial four-day pause.

On Wednesday morning, Israel confirmed its ground and air operation in Gaza is continuing, before the pause starts.

Israel's government insists that this isn't the end of the war, reiterating its commitment to "complete the elimination of Hamas".

Israel began attacking Gaza after Hamas fighters crossed the border on 7 October, killing 1,200 people and taking about 240 others hostage.

Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says more than 14,000 people - including more than 5,000 children - have been killed in Israel's campaign.