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
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.
International
Caracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win
Venezuela has announced the closure of its embassy in Norway, just days after opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Venezuelan diplomatic mission provided no explanation for its decision on Monday.
“It is regrettable,” a ministry spokesperson said. “Despite our differences on several issues, Norway wishes to keep the dialogue with Venezuela open and will continue to work in that direction.” The ministry also emphasized that the Nobel Committee operates entirely independently from the Norwegian government.
In its announcement, the Nobel Committee stated that Machado met the criteria established by Alfred Nobel, “embodying the hope for a different future, where the fundamental rights of Venezuelans are heard.”
International
Sheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains
Thousands of military personnel and civilians in Mexico worked tirelessly on Tuesday to clear roads blocked by the torrential rains of recent days, which have left more than 300 communities cut off across central and eastern regions of the country. Authorities also launched mass fumigation efforts in several affected areas to prevent the spread of dengue fever.
The official death toll remains at 64, though dozens of people are still missing. President Claudia Sheinbaumacknowledged that the government does not yet know the full situation in many of the isolated villages, which range in population from 500 to 1,000 inhabitants.
“The reopening of roads is one of the greatest urgencies,” Sheinbaum said. “It’s essential to guarantee air bridges, food supplies, clean water, and a proper census of the isolated communities so we can determine the condition of every person living there.”
Private construction companies are also assisting the effort with heavy machinery and technical support to help reopen highways and reconnect rural areas.
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Caracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win
Sheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
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