Israeli leaders discuss ceasefire and a return to fighting in Gaza
Following US pressure after the visit by Secretary of State Marco Rubio to Israel, the Israeli prime minister finally decided to dispatch the Israeli delegation to the Egyptian capital to discuss the next phase of the deal.
However, there’s a lot of talk in Israel about not going to the second phase. Discussions within the Israeli security cabinet last night led to no consensus on how to move forward.
According to Israeli media, the prime minister wants to extend phase one rather than going to phase two. And there’s been a lot of talk about going back to fighting. The US has given Israel whatever guarantees it wants. President Trump has said Israel can do whatever it wants about the ceasefire and a return to war.
But a new survey by Israel’s Channel 12 shows that 61 percent of respondents want to continue with the ceasefire deal and release as many Israeli captives as possible. Now, there are talks behind the scenes about Israel getting the US involved to pressure mediators to release more captives who are alive and return the bodies of those killed.
Hamas eyes second phase of Gaza ceasefire as it confirms more releases
Hamas announcements on release of six captives next Saturday and four bodies on Thursday are a big development for negotiations on phase two of the ceasefire.
Hamas said they are doing this because they want the second phase to take place. The Israelis have been asking for this for about a week now, saying they want the bodies of some captives to be released sooner than the end of phase one on March 1.
The bodies to be released on Thursday will include the Bibas family, who Hamas announced in November 2023 were killed in an Israeli air strike.
Husband and father Yarden Bibas was released just a couple of weeks ago as part of phase one. The Israeli military had said they had great concerns over the fate of the mother and her two children, but did not confirm whether they were killed. Hamas now confirms they will be releasing the bodies.
Four more bodies of deceased captives are expected to be released on the final day of phase one.
Netanyahu’s office confirms Israel to receive six living captives, four bodies
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the talks in Cairo resulted in an agreement on the release of six living Israeli captives on Saturday as part of the first phase of the ceasefire deal with Hamas.
Israel will also receive the bodies of four Israeli prisoners on Thursday and the bodies of four others a week later, the statement said.
The Times of Israel newspaper said the families of the captives have been notified.
Hamas says it will release bodies of four hostages, including Bibas children, on Thursday and six living hostages on Saturday
https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/18/middleeast/hamas-israel-hostages-to-release-bibas-family-intl/index.html
It is clearest indication that the Bibas children – who were just nine months and four years old, respectively, when they were kidnapped in October 2023 – are indeed dead.
Israel has not yet confirmed their deaths and has not yet commented on Hamas’ announcement.
Hamas claimed in November 2023 that Kfir and Ariel Bibas were killed along with their mother in an Israeli airstrike, and released a video of their father Yarden, who was also held hostage, in which he blamed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for their deaths.
An Israeli military spokesperson at the time called the video “psychological terror,” but the military has told relatives that they may not be alive, according to a spokesperson for the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.
Hamas released Yarden Bibas, alive, on February 1.
The Bibas family, and Kfir in particular, have become one of the most recognizable victims of the October 7 terror attacks.
Kfir’s picture has been featured on many of the posters calling for the release of the hostages that have been on display across Israel and the world for the past 15 months. In it, the red-haired baby boy is holding a pink elephant toy, looking directly into the camera with a toothless smile.
Hamas’ announcement came on the day Israel said it would begin talks on the second phase of the Gaza hostage-ceasefire agreement.
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