From The Australian. Here's what's on the front. I'm Christianami. It it's Monday, February three. Food suppliers say the government's renewables target is sending their energy bills through the roof. The Independent Food Distributor's Peak body, which represents two hundred food manufacturers, suppliers and distributors, wants labor to shift its focus to coal and gas production. It says we'll bring prices down. US President Donald Trump signed an executive order
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The hostages held for over a year by Hamas have been reunited with their loved ones, but questions swirl around the fate of some of the Middle East conflict's youngest and most recognizable hostages. That's today's episode. It was a moment four hundred and eighty four days in the mating jardin Biebus, finally free after more than a year in captivity, reunites with his sister, Offrey and father Eli. We love you, Eli said over and over as his adult son clung to his dad. Keep your sense of humor.
We love you.
Aufrey, also wrapped up in her dad's embrace, pulled her brother close. Earlier on Saturday, Yardin and two other men taken hostage on October seven, twenty twenty three were released by the Harmas militants who held them captive.
The three men were released today as part of the Israel Gaza ceasefire deal. In exchange, Israel is expected to free more than one hundred Palestinian prisoners and allow for additional humanitarian aid todate.
Almost six hundred Palestinian prisoners held in Israel's jails have been released and deported to Egypt, Palestine, and the West Bank. Two hundred and fifty one Israelis were taken hostage by Hamas in the October seven attack. Eighteen have been released
since the exchanges began on January nineteen. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netnyahu, who's repeatedly vowed to bring the hostages home alive, said he was thrilled to welcome Jardenbiba's home, along with fifty four year old Oph Calderon and sixty five year old American israeliman Keith siegel.
Off, then Keuth Kama Tovlotetrambabat, but he noted the job is far from done, saying his government is working to bring Yarden's young children Ariel and Kafir, and his wife Shiri home.
Mischa Elia Kulano the Tontl schili Arienne Ukfilbibas.
Little Kafir Beebas was just nine months old when Harmas invaded southern Israel more than fifteen months ago, making him the youngest person to be abducted by the terror group. He turned two on January eighteenth, one day before the ceasefire came into effect, and the second time the milestone has been marked in captivity. Kafir and his big brother, five year old Ariel, both sport a shock of instantly
recognizable red hair. In November, Harmas said the duo and their mother had been killed in a strike by the Israeli Defense Force and released distressing footage of the moment. Yarden was told his wife and children were dead, but come January, their names reappeared on an initial list of thirty three hostages to be released under the terms of the ceasefire deal, giving members of their extended family fresh
hope they're alive. However, despite the safe return of Dad Yarden, the fate of Kafir, Ariel and Shiri is unclear.
The uncertainty is widespread because there has been no confirmation, and that's the vacuum that everybody is existing in. Because Yarden has been released, He's got no idea.
Jacqueline Magne is the Australian's europe correspondent.
He's clinging to the faintest of hope that they are still alive. And since December in twenty twenty three, he was told that they had died in an airstrike by the Israelis, and he was at the time asked to do a video condemning Israel about the attacks and also that they needed to release their bodies. Now he's done that video. Israel did not release it at the time
because they said it was propaganda. The Israeli Defense Force has said they have very grave concerns about the status of Shii and the boys, but they don't have any proof from Hamas about that status. So there is this enormous uncertainty, and of course it kind of exemplifies the agony for the Israelis about this, and that terrified image just sticks with everybody because they've seen nothing else of them.
On Wednesday, the Israeli government demanded that her mass provide definitive answers about the status of Shii, Aeriel and Kafir.
Jack.
Is there a world in which Shiri and her children have died in captivity? And Hamas, understanding the fragility of this ceasefire deal, is prolonging confirmation of that fact for as long as possible so as not to provoke a fresh attack by the IDF. Or on the flip side, is this uncertainty about their fate just another way to inflict further anguish on the extended Beabs family and by extension, the Israeli people well Hamas.
By not releasing this information, it serves several purposes. Really, it keeps everybody guessing. It means that there won't be an outpouring of anger if they are confirmed to have been dead at a time when negotiations for the ceasefire to be a permanent one is ongoing this week, So it's an incredibly sensitive and raw time. And I think Hamas is playing a psychological game that it's in their
interests for people not to know what's happened. But that also so it gives them leverage in these negotiations for them to extract perhaps more prisoners, perhaps more concessions. So they're not going to confirm anything to anybody at this stage.
Coming up, what next for the hostages and for the ceasefire deal? Reflecting on the safe return of Jarden biebis Oph Calderon and Keith Siegel On Sunday, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanya, who said he wouldn't tolerate any violations of the ceasefire deal broken over months by a coalition of Katari and American negotiators.
Madam but P Michael Damot if Hush should loot maccabeleta Fato skin.
Onto Tuesday, Netanyahu will meet with US President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington, DC, with negotiations over the trucer's second phase expected to get underway after that, though no formal date for the talks has been set.
Natanyao's offer said that US President's West Asia on boy Steve Whitkoff, will talk to Kuthard and Egypt key mediators, after which steps to advance and negotiations will be discussed with the Israeli Prime Minister.
And that's where there's expected to be some tension. Phase two of the ceasefire deal requires not only the release of any remaining hostages by Hamas, but also the declaration of permanent peace and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. Israel's wary of declaring peace because it says it wants to be able to defend itself if Hamas regroups and Harmas say they won't release the hostages until they can
be sure they won't be targeted by the IDF. Phase two is due to begin next month, so should we expect it to go ahead as planned? Here's Jacqueline Magney.
I think this second stage of negotiations is very much up in the air. We've got several tension points happening at the same time within Netnya, who's government. He has to appease the Hawks in his government because he would lose power if they resigned, So he's got to keep his own politicians happy, and some of them are not
content with any kind of permanent cease fire. With Hamas, they really want to have that option to be able to return to hostilities because they perceive Hermas to be an ongoing threat and until that threat is reduced to a minimal extent, they're not going to agree to that.
So Netna, who's treading a very fine political line. He's meeting with Trump, who wants a cease fire once all the hostage is released, refugees to be housed in neighboring countries, wants major upheaval in the Middle East, really because he wants to focus on Iran and the issues that Iran poses with their nuclear power. So this incredible shifting sands of the Middle East discontinuing, and nobody quite knows where
that second stage of talks is going to land. At this point, I think people are optimistic because the Israeli people want all the hostages returned and they're willing to give up anything for that to happen. But once we see some of the hostages return that are dead, I think the mood will change and that they will realize that perhaps they're not going to get all the hostages back in the lovely, waving, smiling way that we've seen
so far. So I don't think anyone can say with certainty that this second stage is going to go ahead as what's been proposed.
Jacqueline Magne is The Australian's europe correspondent. You can read all the latest on the situation in the Middle East right now at the Australian dot com dot au