Israel-Hamas Hostage Deal Hits Unexpected Snag, Negotiations Are Now a ‘High-Wire Act’

The Israel-Hamas deal to release hostages has hit an unexpected snag that will delay the release of captives to their families.

MSNBC’s David Noriega reported the breaking news Wednesday, saying the release of Israeli hostages from Gaza won’t take place before Friday.

“This just came in in the last few minutes. It’s from the director of the Israeli National Security Council. It’s a statement, a very brief statement, that says that the release of Israeli hostages from Gaza will not take place before Friday,” Noriega said, continuing:

That’s a significant change, because the initial expectation was this release of hostages would begin tomorrow. We have no information about what’s causing the delay. There are numerous factors that could be causing the delay on either side. Logistical questions around Hamas’ ability to locate, consolidate the hostages, and transfer them, or questions around the fact that Israeli citizens can appeal the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisoners.

Again, we don’t know what is causing the delay, but this shows you that this entire negotiation is basically a high-wire act that could change or collapse even at any moment. As of now, the contours of the agreement remain in place as far as we know. It’s just the timing that has changed.

“I haven’t spoken to a single family that has expressed relief or joy. The closest thing they express is hope. Fearful and anxious hope, but that’s very attenuated, very almost fearful and anxious because everybody understands that this all could change at any moment,” Noriega said.

Watch the clip above via MSNBC.