PHOTO
This picture taken from southern Israel near the border with the Gaza Strip shows smoke billowing after an Israeli strike in north Gaza on November 22, 2023, amid ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement. (Photo by JACK GUEZ / AFP)
France on Thursday said an agreement between Israel and Hamas on the release of 50 hostages in exchange for a humanitarian truce should go ahead "without further delay".
Paris is also urging "the immediate release of all hostages", said Anne-Claire Legendre, spokeswoman for the French foreign ministry. "We call for the terms of this agreement to be fully respected," she added.
Israel has made a truce deal with Hamas but it says no hostages are expected to be released until at least Friday.