this is cnn breaking news. hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the united states and all around the world as we continue our breaking news coverage of the israel/hamas war. i m rosemary church. qatar s foreign ministry says it will announce in the next few hours when the truce between israel and hamas will begin. a diplomatic source says it s likely to start friday, midnight local time at the earliest. the news comes after israel said on wednesday that the expected release of hostages and a pause in fighting with hamas were delayed. both u.s. and israeli officials pointed to logistical details for that delay. ahead of the expected truce, israeli forces continued ground and air operations, striking parts of northeastern and central gaza, though palestinians say areas further south were also hit. israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu expressed confidence the deal would soon go into effect and made clear the war against hamas is far from over. translator: