Friday, February 7, 2025

Hamas fails to share names for Sat. hostage release before deadline, in truce violation


Hamas fails to share names for Sat. hostage release before deadline, in truce violation


 Times of Israel is liveblogging Friday

Hamas has yet to publish the names of the three male hostages who are set to be released tomorrow from captivity, in violation of the ceasefire terms which oblige the terror group to update Israeli officials via the mediators by 4 p.m.

In recent days, Hamas has accused Israel of violating the deal’s terms by withholding humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza.

Israeli officials have vowed to “respond harshly” to Hamas if it delays sending the list, Walla reports.

The holdup comes amid frustration from Hamas and third-party mediators over Israel’s delay in sending a team to Doha for talks regarding the deal’s second phase. Negotiations surrounding the next stage of the deal should have begun this past Monday, the 16th day of the ceasefire, as per the agreement terms.

Israel’s Army Radio reports that Hamas is considering delaying the forthcoming hostage releases in response to the late Israeli delegation, however mediators are trying to prevent this.



France is reaffirming its support for the International Criminal Court (ICC) and will mobilize with its partners so that the ICC can continue its mission independently and impartially, a French foreign ministry spokesman says.

The statement comes after US President Donald Trump yesterday authorized economic and travel sanctions targeting people who work on ICC investigations of US citizens or US allies such as Israel.

The United States and Israel, along with China and Russia, are not members of the ICC.


Troops have been deployed to several points in Gaza, under the terms of the hostage-ceasefire deal with Hamas, to strengthen the layer of defense for Western Negev communities, the IDF says in a statement.

The IDF’s 99th, 143rd and 162nd Divisions also conducted several situational assessments in the field ahead of tomorrow’s hostage release, the military adds.

Under the terms of the ceasefire, Israel is to gradually withdraw from Gaza and free many hundreds of Palestinian security prisoners in return for the release of some of the hostages.



The United States has set a “red line” that Iran-backed terror group Hezbollah should not be a member of Lebanon’s next government after its military defeat by Israel last year, US deputy Middle East envoy Morgan Ortagus says in Lebanon.

Ortagus is the first senior US official to visit Lebanon since US President Donald Trump took office and since Joseph Aoun was elected president in Lebanon.

Speaking to reporters after meeting President Aoun, Ortagus says she is “not afraid” of “Hezbollah “because they’ve been defeated militarily.”

She says that the US has “set clear red lines” to ensure that Hezbollah “won’t be able to terrorize the Lebanese people, and that includes by being a part of the government,” she says.






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