International
Hamas will deliver six hostages on Saturday and four bodies on Thursday, including the Bibas
The Islamist group Hamas announced on Tuesday that it will release on Saturday, February 22, the last six living hostages included in the first phase of the ceasefire agreement, and on Thursday they will hand over four lifeless bodies, including those of the Bibas family, confirmed the head of its negotiating delegation, Jalil al Haya.
Among the six hostages are the Ethiopian-Israeli Ebra Mangesto and the Bedouin Hisham al Sayed, who had been kidnapped in Gaza for a decade – 2014 and 2015 respectively -, after entering the enclave voluntarily.
Each will be exchanged for 77 Palestinian prisoners, as stipulated in the agreement, including 47 of the thousand who were released in the so-known Shalit agreement of 2011 and arrested again some time later.
In addition, Hamas will deliver four hostage bodies to Israel this Thursday, including those of Shiri Bibas, of Argentine origin, and his two children, Ariel and Kfir, two and five years old respectively. Next week, according to Al Haya, the other four remaining bodies of the first phase will be delivered.
Al Haya said that all these releases, which would put an end to the exchanges agreed in the first phase, seek to make this stage “a success” and “prepare to talk about the second phase.”
Al Haya accused the Israeli government, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, of “procrastinating” and trying to evade the humanitarian part of the ceasefire agreement, such as the entry of stores and prefabricated houses.
The Islamist leader assured that Hamas continues to work together with the mediating countries (and especially Egypt and Qatar) to force Israel to allow the entry of heavy machinery to remove debris and sufficient shelters to Gaza, as contemplated in the ceasefire agreement.
The president met his government’s security cabinet yesterday to discuss how to address the second phase of the agreement, which should have already begun to be negotiated in early February, and which implies the end of the war and the release of the rest of the live hostages.
The relatives of Yardén Bibas, released on February 1 in the Gaza Strip, said they were “shocked” after Hamas’ announcement that on Thursday he will remove the lifeless bodies of his wife, Shiri Silberman, and their two children, Ariel and Kfir, captured on October 7, 2023.
“In the last few hours, we have been shocked after the announcement of the Hamas spokesman about the return of Shiri, Ariel and Kfir this Thursday as part of the release phase of the hostage bodies,” the relatives said in a message shared by the Forum of Families of Hostages and Missing Persons.
The Bibas said they are aware of the announcement, but have not yet received any official confirmation of the death of Shiri and the children. “Until we receive a final confirmation, our trip is not over,” they added.
International
Mexican government prioritizes 191 communities after deadly floods
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed on Wednesday that the death toll from recent rains and floods across several central states has risen to 66, while the federal government has activated air bridges and prioritized assistance in 191 isolated communities.
“Unfortunately, 66 people have died, and 75 remain missing,” the president said during her morning press conference. She added that the official death toll will be updated later in a new report.
As of Tuesday, authorities had reported 64 fatalities. Sheinbaum also announced the creation of a public information center to centralize official data on the deceased, missing persons, damaged homes, and cut-off communities.
According to the president, the number of missing persons has decreased thanks to coordination with state authorities.
“Through calls to phone line 079, 103 people who had been reported missing have now been located,” she explained.
Priority Municipalities
The president noted that the federal government has classified 191 communities as ‘priority’, a designation based mainly on the percentage of homes affected.
International
New road and bridge explosions raise alarm amid indigenous protests in Ecuador
Ecuadorian authorities are investigating two explosions that occurred early Wednesday, one on a road in the southern part of the country and another under a bridge in Guayas province. These incidents follow the car bomb explosion in the coastal city of Guayaquil, also in Guayas, which occurred the day before and left one person dead and 30 injured.
Press reports indicate that one person was injured and several vehicles were damaged in the explosion on the Cuenca-Girón-Pasaje road in the south.
“Besides yesterday’s explosion in Guayaquil, we have received reports of explosives placed on bridges along the Guayaquil-Machala and Machala-Cuenca routes to disrupt traffic,” said Roberto Luque, Minister of Infrastructure and Transport (MIT).
On his X social media account, Luque reported that authorities have been deployed to the sites to assess the damage and determine the current condition of the structures.
“What they haven’t achieved with their call for a strike, some are trying to achieve through terrorism,” he stated, referring to the 24 days of protests organized by the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities (Conaie) against rising diesel prices and other demands.
The protests, called at a national level, have Imbabura province as their epicenter. Roadblocks have also been reported in the northern part of Pichincha province, whose capital is Quito, while activities in the rest of the country continue normally.
International
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Ecuador’s Armed Forces carried out an operation on Monday — including airstrikes — against illegal mining in the town of Buenos Aires, in the country’s north, Defense Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo reported.
The mountainous, gold-rich area has been a hotspot for illegal mining since 2017, located in the Andean province of Imbabura.
In 2019, former president Lenín Moreno deployed around 2,400 soldiers to the region in an attempt to curb the illegal activity. “The operation began with mortar fire, followed by gunfire and bombing runs by Supertucano aircraft,” Loffredo said in a video released by the Defense Ministry.
He added that the operation would continue on Tuesday with patrols across the area to locate possible members of “irregular armed groups that may have crossed from the Colombian border.”
The Armed Forces stated on X that the intervention focused on the “complete elimination of multiple illegal mining tunnels” in the areas known as Mina Nueva and Mina Vieja.
The operation coincided with the deployment of a military and police convoy into Imbabura, which has been the epicenter of protests against President Daniel Noboa since September 22, following his decision to scrap the diesel subsidy.
Mexican government prioritizes 191 communities after deadly floods
New road and bridge explosions raise alarm amid indigenous protests in Ecuador
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
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