Hang Seng Index falls below 25,000 points by noon

Hong Kong stocks extended losses by midday break on Thursday, as investors weighed on the hope of a Middle East truce.

The benchmark Hang Seng Index dropped 347 points, or 1.37 percent, to 24,988.

The Hang Seng Tech Index fell 2.15 percent to 4,817.

In the mainland, the Shanghai Stock Exchange Composite Index inched down 0.58 percent to 3,909 points, while the Shenzhen Stock Exchange Component Index went down 0.38 percent to 13,748 points.