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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 11 February 2025
Hamas says it will delay the release of more hostages, putting

fragile ceasefire at risk

By MELANIE LIDMAN and dinator for hostages said
SAMY MAGDY all of the hostage families
Associated Press had been updated about
JERUSALEM (AP) — Hamas Hamas’ announcement
said Monday it will delay and that Israel “insists on
the further release of hos- fulfilling the agreement in
tages in the Gaza Strip af- its entirety.”
ter accusing Israel of violat- Hamas spokesman Abu
ing a fragile ceasefire that Obeida said on social
now faces its most serious media that Israel has ob-
crisis since it began three structed key provisions of
weeks ago. the ceasefire by not allow-
Prime Minister Benjamin ing Palestinians to return
Netanyahu is under heavy to northern Gaza, carrying
pressure to secure the re- out strikes across the terri-
lease of remaining hostag- tory and failing to facilitate
es after last Saturday’s re- the entry of humanitarian
lease, in which three Israelis aid.
came home emaciated The Hostages and Missing
after 16 months in Hamas Family Forum, which repre-
captivity. sents many of the hostage
Hamas’ announcement families, called on mediat-
to delay the next planned Israeli captives, from left to the right, Ohad Ben Ami, Eli Sharabi and Or Levy, who have been held ing countries to restore the
release of hostages came hostage by Hamas in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, are escorted by Hamas fighters on a stage before existing deal.
as Palestinians and the in- being handed over to the Red Cross in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. “Recent evidence from
ternational community Associated Press those released, as well as
seethed over U.S. President the shocking conditions of
Donald Trump’s recent in deadly attacks on Israel. last month, freeing 21 hos- discuss internal delibera- the hostages released last
comments that Palestinians The U.S. and Israel have tages and over 730 Pales- tions, said Netanyahu also Saturday, leaves no room
from Gaza would not have said the so-called “martyrs tinian prisoners. The next pushed forward a sched- for doubt time is of the es-
a right to return under his fund” rewarded violence exchange, scheduled for uled meeting of his Security sence, and all hostages
plan for “ownership” of the against Israel. Saturday, called for three Cabinet to Tuesday morn- must be urgently rescued
war-torn territory after help- Israel and Hamas are in the more Israeli hostages to be ing from later in the day. from this horrific situation,”
ing to rebuild it. midst of a six-week cease- freed in exchange for hun- Defense Minister Israel Katz the Forum said.
In an effort to improve re- fire during which Hamas dreds of Palestinian prison- said Hamas’ plan to delay Trump made his latest com-
lations with the Trump ad- has committed to releas- ers. Threatening a fragile the next release of hos- ments about Gaza in an in-
ministration, Palestinian ing 33 hostages captured ceasefire deal tages was “a complete terview with FOX News set
President Mahmoud Ab- in its Oct. 7, 2023, attack in An Israeli official said Ne- violation” of the ceasefire to air Monday, less than a
bas on Monday ended a exchange for nearly 2,000 tanyahu was consulting agreement and that he in- week after he floated his
controversial system that Palestinian prisoners. security officials after the structed the Israeli military plan for the U.S. to take
paid stipends to the fami- The sides have carried Hamas announcement. to be on the highest level control of Gaza and turn it
lies of Palestinian prisoners, out five swaps since the The official, speaking on of alert. in “the Riviera of the Middle
including those convicted ceasefire went into effect condition of anonymity to The Prime Minister’s coor- East.” q

Chinese cargo ship runs aground on Russia’s Pacific region of

Sakhalin but no spill reported

MOSCOW (AP) — The governor of Russia’s Pacific island region of Sakhalin has de-
clared an emergency after a Chinese cargo ship ran aground off its southwest coast.
There was no danger to the crew of the An Yang 2, which is carrying coal and heavy
fuel oil, Gov. Valery Limarenko said in a post on Telegram on Sunday. Russia’s emer-
gencies ministry said 20 crew were aboard.
Limarenko said that no fuel spillage was recorded, but local authorities had to be
prepared for any scenario. Bad weather has prevented access by rescue teams to
the bulk carrier, which is stranded in shallow waters off Sakhalin’s Nevelsky district, he
added.
Regional authorities said they were preparing to pump fuel out of the damaged ves-
sel, marooned some 200 meters (650 feet) offshore.
Earlier this year, hundreds of volunteers in southwestern Russia spent weeks trying to
contain a massive fuel oil spill from two storm-stricken tankers in the Kerch Strait near
Crimea.
The Sakhalin region, which is located in Russia’s Far East, comprises a large island of the
same name and the four Kuril Islands, the subject of a decades-long territorial dispute In this photo released by Governor and Government of the
between Russia and Japan that has prevented them from signing a peace treaty at Sakhalin Region of Russia on Monday, Feb. 10, 2025, The
the end of World War II. Chinese cargo ship is seen after running aground off at the
Soviet troops captured the islands, known in Japan as the Northern Territories, at the southwest coast of Sakhalin island of Russian far east.
end of the war, and Russia has retained control ever since.q Associated Press