Hamas plan to delay to next wave of hostage releases causes anguish in Israel

(12 Feb 2025) RESTRICTION SUMMARY: ASSOCIATED PRESS Tel Aviv, Israel - 11 February 2025 1. Pictures of Tamir Nimrodi, an Israeli soldier kidnapped from his post at a main crossing between Israel and Gaza, on phone screen 2. SOUNDBITE (English) Herut Nimrodi, mother of kidnapped Israeli soldier Tamir Nimrodi: "We're trying to analyse it. We're trying to think what are the possibilities? Is this kind of a psychological terrors that they're pulling on us, or not? And we want to believe that both sides and the mediators can sit down and solve this issue." 3. Herut holding phone 4. SOUNDBITE (English) Herut Nimrodi, mother of kidnapped Israeli soldier Tamir Nimrodi: "I know there is... there's a chance I won't get to this point where I can hold my son. I'm scared. If Tamir is still alive, I have no idea what he is going through. I'm scared even to imagine what he's going through. But we have to keep on fighting." 5. Various of poster on wall showing picture of Tamir STORYLINE: Israeli soldier Tamir Nimrodi, 20, who was kidnapped in October 2023 from his post at a main crossing between Israel and Gaza, is not on the list of hostages to be freed in the first stage of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. His mother, Herut said Hamas’ plan to delay the next hostage release came as a shock. "We're trying to analyse it. We're trying to think what are the possibilities? Is this kind of a psychological terrors that they're pulling on us, or not?" she said. It has been difficult watching the hostage releases over the past few weeks, Nimrodi said, especially the emotional videos of hostages reuniting with their families. On the one hand, each reunion has felt like a step closer to bringing back her son, whom she described as a creative person who loves riding horses and drinking sweet cocktails made with pineapple juice. But Nimrodi does not know if her son, who also holds German citizenship, is alive. The other two soldiers he was kidnapped with were killed, and she has not received any sign of life from him. "I know there is a chance I won’t get to the point where I can hold my son," she said. According to Israeli media, returning hostages have provided proof of life for at least seven Israeli hostages. Nimrodi doesn’t know what is worse — to believe her son is dead, or to receive information that he is alive, but held in brutal conditions. "I'm scared. If Tamir is still alive, I have no idea what he is going through. I'm scared even to imagine what he's going through. But we have to keep on fighting,” she said. As the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas seems increasingly at risk of falling apart — Hamas says it will not free three hostages on Saturday as planned, and Israel says it's ready to resume the war if it doesn't. Families of the hostages are struggling to maintain hope. They are pleading with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to give up on the ceasefire framework, and to speed up the timeline of releases if possible. Their worries about the ceasefire collapsing have been exacerbated by President Donald Trump's demand that all of the hostages be freed by Saturday — and his insistence that Gaza be emptied of all Palestinians and redeveloped as a tourist enclave controlled by the United States. =========================================================== Clients are reminded to adhere to all listed restrictions and to check the terms of their licence agreements. For further assistance, please contact the AP Archive on: Tel +44(0)2074827482 Email: [email protected]. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...